Multi-tier three-dimensional memory device with dielectric support pillars and methods for making the same

ABSTRACT

A multi-tier three-dimensional memory array includes multiple alternating stacks of insulating layers and electrically conductive layers that are vertically stacked. Memory stack structures including memory films and semiconductor channels extend through the alternating stacks. The alternating stacks are formed as alternating stacks of insulating layers and sacrificial material layers, and are subsequently modified by replacing the sacrificial material layers with electrically conductive layers. Structural support during replacement of the sacrificial material layers with the electrically conductive layers is provided by the memory stack structures and dielectric support pillar structures. The dielectric support pillar structures may be formed only for a first-tier structure including a first-tier alternating stack of first insulating layers and first spacer material layers, or may vertically extend over multiple tiers. The dielectric support pillar structures may be formed before or after formation of stepped surfaces in the alternating stack.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to the field of semiconductor devices and specifically to a three-dimensional memory device having dielectric support pillars and methods of making the same.

BACKGROUND

Three-dimensional vertical NAND strings having one bit per cell are disclosed in an article by T. Endoh et al., titled “Novel Ultra High Density Memory With A Stacked-Surrounding Gate Transistor (S-SGT) Structured Cell”, IEDM Proc. (2001) 33-36.

SUMMARY

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a three-dimensional semiconductor device is provided, which comprises: a first-tier alternating stack of first insulating layers and first electrically conductive layers located over a substrate; a second-tier alternating stack of second insulating layers and second electrically conductive layers located over the first-tier alternating stack; memory stack structures vertically extending through each layer of the alternating stack in a memory array region; stepped surfaces of the first-tier alternating stack and the second-tier alternating stack located in a staircase region adjacent to the memory array region; and first-tier dielectric support pillar structures extending through portions of the first-tier alternating stack underlying the stepped surfaces, wherein a height of each of the dielectric support pillar structures decreases with a lateral distance from the memory array region.

According to another embodiment, a three-dimensional semiconductor device comprises a first-tier alternating stack of first insulating layers and first electrically conductive layers located over a substrate; a second-tier alternating stack of second insulating layers and second electrically conductive layers located over the first-tier alternating stack; a memory array region including memory stack structures that vertically extend through each layer of the first-tier alternating stack and the second-tier alternating stack; a staircase region including first stepped surfaces of the first-tier alternating stack and second stepped surfaces of the second-tier alternating stack; dielectric support pillar structures consisting essentially of at least one dielectric material and extending through the first-tier alternating stack and not extending through any layer of the second-tier alternating stack; and composite support pillar structures comprising a semiconductor material portion and extending through all layers of the first-tier alternating stack and through the second stepped surfaces.

According to another embodiment, a method of forming a semiconductor structure comprises forming a first-tier alternating stack of first insulating layers and first spacer material layers over a substrate; forming in-process dielectric support pillar structures through the first-tier alternating stack in a first staircase region; forming a second-tier alternating stack of second insulating layers and second sacrificial material layers over the first-tier alternating stack and the in-process support pillar structures; patterning the second-tier alternating stack and the first-tier alternating stack to form first stepped surfaces on the first-tier alternating stack and second stepped surfaces on the second-tier alternating stack, wherein the in-process dielectric support pillar structures are collaterally recessed vertically to provide dielectric support pillar structures comprising at least one dielectric material and extending through the first-tier alternating stack and having different heights; forming memory stack structures vertically extending through each layer of the first-tier alternating stack and the second-tier alternating stack in a memory array region; and replacing remaining portions of the first spacer material layers and the second spacer material layers with first electrically conductive layers and second electrically conductive layers.

According to another embodiment, a three-dimensional semiconductor device comprises a first-tier alternating stack of first insulating layers and first electrically conductive layers located over a substrate; a second-tier alternating stack of second insulating layers and second electrically conductive layers located over the first-tier alternating stack; a memory array region including memory stack structures that vertically extend through each layer of the first-tier alternating stack and the second-tier alternating stack; a staircase region including first stepped surfaces of the first-tier alternating stack and second stepped surfaces of the second-tier alternating stack; and dielectric support pillar structures consisting essentially of at least one dielectric material and located within the staircase region, wherein one of the dielectric support pillar structures extends through all layers of the first-tier alternating stack and at least a bottommost layer of the second-tier alternating stack, and has a greater lateral extent at a level of a topmost layer of the first-tier alternating stack than at a level of the bottommost layer of the second-tier alternating stack.

According to another embodiment, a method of forming a semiconductor structure comprises forming a first-tier alternating stack of first insulating layers and first spacer material layers over a substrate; forming a second-tier alternating stack of second insulating layers and second sacrificial material layers over the first-tier alternating stack; forming inter-tier support openings vertically extending at least from a horizontal plane including a topmost surface of the second-tier alternating stack at least to another horizontal plane including a bottommost surface of the first-tier alternating stack, wherein each of the inter-tier support openings has a greater lateral extent at a level of a topmost layer of the first-tier alternating stack than at a level of a bottommost layer of the second-tier alternating stack; forming dielectric support pillar structures in the inter-tier support openings; forming first stepped surfaces on the first-tier alternating stack and second stepped surfaces on the second-tier alternating stack by patterning the first-tier alternating stack and the second-tier alternating stack prior to, or after, formation of the dielectric support pillar structures; forming memory stack structures vertically extending through each layer of the first-tier alternating stack and the second-tier alternating stack in a memory array region; and replacing remaining portions of the first spacer material layers and the second spacer material layers with first electrically conductive layers and second electrically conductive layers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a vertical cross-sectional view of a first exemplary structure after formation of semiconductor devices, lower level dielectric layers, lower metal interconnect structures, and in-process source level material layers on a semiconductor substrate according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1B is a top-down view of the first exemplary structure of FIG. 1A. The hinged vertical plane A-A′ is the plane of the vertical cross-sectional view of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 1C is a magnified view of the in-process source level material layers along the vertical plane C-C′ of FIG. 1B.

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the first exemplary structure after formation of a first-tier alternating stack of first insulating layers and first spacer material layers according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the first exemplary structure after patterning a first staircase region, a first retro-stepped dielectric material portion, and an inter-tier dielectric layer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4A is a vertical cross-sectional view of the first exemplary structure after formation of first-tier memory openings and first-tier support openings according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4B is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the first exemplary structure of FIG. 4A. The hinged vertical plane A-A′ corresponds to the plane of the vertical cross-sectional view of FIG. 4A.

FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the first exemplary structure after formation of various sacrificial fill structures according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the first exemplary structure after formation of a second-tier alternating stack of second insulating layers and second spacer material layers, second stepped surfaces, and a second retro-stepped dielectric material portion according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7A is a vertical cross-sectional view of the first exemplary structure after formation of second-tier memory openings and second-tier support openings according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7B is a horizontal cross-sectional of the first exemplary structure along the horizontal plane B-B′ of FIG. 7A. The hinged vertical plane A-A′ corresponds to the plane of the vertical cross-sectional view of FIG. 7A.

FIG. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the first exemplary structure after formation of inter-tier memory openings and inter-tier support openings according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 9A-9D illustrate sequential vertical cross-sectional views of a memory opening during formation of a memory opening fill structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the first exemplary structure after formation of memory opening fill structures and support pillar structures according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 11A is a vertical cross-sectional view of the first exemplary structure after formation of a first contact level dielectric layer and backside trenches according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 11B is a horizontal cross-sectional of the first exemplary structure along the horizontal plane B-B′ of FIG. 11A. The hinged vertical plane A-A′ corresponds to the plane of the vertical cross-sectional view of FIG. 11A.

FIG. 12 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the first exemplary structure after formation of backside trench spacers according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 13A-13E illustrate sequential vertical cross-sectional views of memory opening fill structures and a backside trench during formation of source-level material layers according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 14 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the first exemplary structure after formation of source-level material layers according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 15 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the first exemplary structure after formation of backside recesses according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 16 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the first exemplary structure after formation of electrically conductive layers according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 17A is a vertical cross-sectional view of the first exemplary structure after formation of dielectric wall structures in the backside trenches according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 17B is a horizontal cross-sectional of the first exemplary structure along the horizontal plane B-B′ of FIG. 17A. The hinged vertical plane A-A′ corresponds to the plane of the vertical cross-sectional view of FIG. 17A.

FIG. 17C is a vertical cross-sectional view of the first exemplary structure along the vertical plane C-C′ of FIG. 17B.

FIG. 18A is a vertical cross-sectional view of the first exemplary structure after formation of a second contact level dielectric layer and various contact via structures according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 18B is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the first exemplary structure along the vertical plane B-B′ of FIG. 18A. The hinged vertical plane A-A′ corresponds to the plane of the vertical cross-sectional view of FIG. 18A.

FIG. 19 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the first exemplary structure after formation of through-memory-level via structures and upper metal line structures according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 20A is a vertical cross-sectional view of a staircase region of a second exemplary structure after formation of first-tier memory openings and first-tier support openings according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 20B is a vertical cross-sectional view of a memory array region of the second exemplary structure of FIG. 20A.

FIG. 21 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the staircase region of the second exemplary structure after removal of a patterned etch mask according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 22 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the staircase region of the second exemplary structure after formation of sacrificial first-tier memory opening fill structures and sacrificial first-tier support opening fill structures according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 23 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the staircase region of the second exemplary structure after formation of a dielectric mask layer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 24 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the staircase region of the second exemplary structure after formation of a patterned photoresist layer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 25 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the staircase region of the second exemplary structure after patterning the dielectric mask layer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 26 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the staircase region of the second exemplary structure after removal of the patterned photoresist layer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 27 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the staircase region of the second exemplary structure after removal of a first subset of the sacrificial first-tier support opening fill structures according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 28 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the staircase region of the second exemplary structure after deposition of a dielectric fill material layer in a first subset of the first-tier support openings according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 29 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the staircase region of the second exemplary structure after formation of in-process dielectric support pillar structures according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 30 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the staircase region of the second exemplary structure after removal of the dielectric mask layer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 31 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the second exemplary structure after formation of a second-tier alternating stack of second insulating layers and second sacrificial material layers according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 32 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the second exemplary structure after formation of first stepped surfaces and second stepped surfaces according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 33 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the second exemplary structure after formation of a retro-stepped dielectric material portion according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 34 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the second exemplary structure after formation of second-tier memory openings and second-tier support openings according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 35 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the second exemplary structure after formation of memory opening fill structures and composite support pillar structures according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 36 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the second exemplary structure after formation of word line contact via structures according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 37 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a third exemplary structure after formation of a first-tier alternating stack of first insulating layers and first sacrificial material layers, first stepped surfaces, and a first retro-stepped dielectric material portion according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 38 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the third exemplary structure after formation of sacrificial first-tier memory opening fill structures and sacrificial first-tier support opening fill structures according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 39 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the third exemplary structure after formation of a second-tier alternating stack of second insulating layers and second sacrificial material layers, second stepped surfaces, and a second retro-stepped dielectric material portion according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 40 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the third exemplary structure after formation of second-tier memory openings and second-tier support openings according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 41 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the third exemplary structure after formation of sacrificial second-tier memory opening fill structures and sacrificial second-tier support opening fill structures according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 42 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the third exemplary structure after deposition of a dielectric mask layer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 43 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the staircase region of the third exemplary structure after formation of a patterned photoresist layer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 44 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the staircase region of the third exemplary structure after patterning the dielectric mask layer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 45 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the staircase region of the third exemplary structure after removal of the patterned photoresist layer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 46 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the staircase region of the third exemplary structure after removal of the sacrificial support opening fill structures and formation of inter-tier support openings according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 47 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the staircase region of the third exemplary structure after deposition of a dielectric fill material layer in the inter-tier support openings according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 48 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the staircase region of the third exemplary structure after formation of dielectric support pillar structures according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 49 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the staircase region of the third exemplary structure after removal of the dielectric mask layer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 50 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the third exemplary structure after removal of sacrificial memory opening fill structures and formation of inter-tier memory openings according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 51 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the third exemplary structure after formation of memory opening fill structures according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 52 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a fourth exemplary structure after formation of a first-tier alternating stack of first insulating layers and first sacrificial material layers according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 53 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the fourth exemplary structure after formation of sacrificial first-tier memory opening fill structures and sacrificial first-tier support opening fill structures according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 54 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the fourth exemplary structure after formation of a second-tier alternating stack of second insulating layers and second sacrificial material layers, second-tier memory openings, and second-tier support openings according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 55 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the fourth exemplary structure after formation of sacrificial second-tier memory opening fill structures and sacrificial second-tier support opening fill structures according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 56 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the fourth exemplary structure after deposition of a cover silicon nitride layer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 57 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the fourth exemplary structure after formation of a patterned photoresist layer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 58 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the fourth exemplary structure after patterning the cover silicon nitride layer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 59 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the fourth exemplary structure after removal of the patterned photoresist layer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 60 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the fourth exemplary structure after removal of the sacrificial support opening fill structures and formation of inter-tier support openings according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 61 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the fourth exemplary structure after deposition of a dielectric fill material layer in the inter-tier support openings according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 62 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the fourth exemplary structure after formation of dielectric support pillar structures according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 63 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the fourth exemplary structure after formation of a second dielectric mask layer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 64 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the fourth exemplary structure after removal of the first and second dielectric mask layers in the staircase region according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 65 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the fourth exemplary structure after formation of first stepped surfaces and second stepped surfaces according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 66 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the fourth exemplary structure after formation of a retro-stepped dielectric material portion according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 67 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the fourth exemplary structure after removal of the dielectric mask layers according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 68 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the fourth exemplary structure after removal of sacrificial memory opening fill structures and formation of inter-tier memory openings according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 69 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the fourth exemplary structure after formation of memory opening fill structures according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 70 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the fourth exemplary structure after formation of word line contact via structures according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Slit trenches, support pillar structures and word line contact via structures are formed with tight pitches in order to scale a three-dimensional memory device. Support pillar structures that include a dummy semiconductor channel and dummy memory film and that are formed at the same time as the semiconductor channels and memory films reduce processing cost, but make it difficult to scale the support pillar structures due to the risk of electrical shorts with word line contact via structures and source lines in slit trenches. Further, a sacrificial semiconductor material, such as amorphous silicon can cause particle generation if physically exposed during formation of stepped surfaces for a terrace region. Thus, etching of a sacrificial semiconductor material during formation of stepped surfaces is preferably avoided, which places a constraint on the processing. In view of the above, embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a three-dimensional memory device having dielectric support pillars and methods of making the same, the various aspects of which are discussed in detail below. The dielectric support pillar structures do not pose a risk of short circuits and particle generation during stepped surface etching. The embodiments of the present disclosure can be used to form various semiconductor devices such as three-dimensional monolithic memory array devices comprising a plurality of NAND memory strings.

The drawings are not drawn to scale. Multiple instances of an element may be duplicated where a single instance of the element is illustrated, unless absence of duplication of elements is expressly described or clearly indicated otherwise. Same reference numerals refer to the same element or to a similar element. Elements having the same reference numerals are presumed to have the same material composition unless expressly stated otherwise. Ordinals such as “first,” “second,” and “third” are used merely to identify similar elements, and different ordinals may be used across the specification and the claims of the instant disclosure. As used herein, a first element located “on” a second element can be located on the exterior side of a surface of the second element or on the interior side of the second element. As used herein, a first element is located “directly on” a second element if there exist a physical contact between a surface of the first element and a surface of the second element. As used herein, an “in-process” structure or a “transient” structure refers to a structure that is subsequently modified.

As used herein, a “layer” refers to a material portion including a region having a thickness. A layer may extend over the entirety of an underlying or overlying structure, or may have an extent less than the extent of an underlying or overlying structure. Further, a layer may be a region of a homogeneous or inhomogeneous continuous structure that has a thickness less than the thickness of the continuous structure. For example, a layer may be located between any pair of horizontal planes between or at a top surface and a bottom surface of the continuous structure. A layer may extend horizontally, vertically, and/or along a tapered surface. A substrate may be a layer, may include one or more layers therein, and/or may have one or more layer thereupon, thereabove, and/or therebelow.

As used herein, a “memory level” or a “memory array level” refers to the level corresponding to a general region between a first horizontal plane (i.e., a plane parallel to the top surface of the substrate) including topmost surfaces of an array of memory elements and a second horizontal plane including bottommost surfaces of the array of memory elements. As used herein, a “through-stack” element refers to an element that vertically extends through a memory level.

As used herein, a “semiconducting material” refers to a material having electrical conductivity in the range from 1.0×10⁻⁶ S/cm to 1.0×10⁵ S/cm. As used herein, a “semiconductor material” refers to a material having electrical conductivity in the range from 1.0×10⁻⁶ S/cm to 1.0×10⁵ S/cm in the absence of electrical dopants therein, and is capable of producing a doped material having electrical conductivity in a range from 1.0 S/cm to 1.0×10⁵ S/cm upon suitable doping with an electrical dopant. As used herein, an “electrical dopant” refers to a p-type dopant that adds a hole to a valence band within a band structure, or an n-type dopant that adds an electron to a conduction band within a band structure. As used herein, a “conductive material” refers to a material having electrical conductivity greater than 1.0×10⁵ S/cm. As used herein, an “insulating material” or a “dielectric material” refers to a material having electrical conductivity less than 1.0×10⁻⁶ S/cm. As used herein, a “heavily doped semiconductor material” refers to a semiconductor material that is doped with electrical dopant at a sufficiently high atomic concentration to become a conductive material, i.e., to have electrical conductivity greater than 1.0×10⁵ S/cm. A “doped semiconductor material” may be a heavily doped semiconductor material, or may be a semiconductor material that includes electrical dopants (i.e., p-type dopants and/or n-type dopants) at a concentration that provides electrical conductivity in the range from 1.0×10⁻⁶ S/cm to 1.0×10⁵ S/cm. An “intrinsic semiconductor material” refers to a semiconductor material that is not doped with electrical dopants. Thus, a semiconductor material may be semiconducting or conductive, and may be an intrinsic semiconductor material or a doped semiconductor material. A doped semiconductor material can be semiconducting or conductive depending on the atomic concentration of electrical dopants therein. As used herein, a “metallic material” refers to a conductive material including at least one metallic element therein. All measurements for electrical conductivities are made at the standard condition.

A monolithic three-dimensional memory array is one in which multiple memory levels are formed above a single substrate, such as a semiconductor wafer, with no intervening substrates. The term “monolithic” means that layers of each level of the array are directly deposited on the layers of each underlying level of the array. In contrast, two dimensional arrays may be formed separately and then packaged together to form a non-monolithic memory device. For example, non-monolithic stacked memories have been constructed by forming memory levels on separate substrates and vertically stacking the memory levels, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,915,167 titled “Three-dimensional Structure Memory.” The substrates may be thinned or removed from the memory levels before bonding, but as the memory levels are initially formed over separate substrates, such memories are not true monolithic three-dimensional memory arrays. The substrate may include integrated circuits fabricated thereon, such as driver circuits for a memory device.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a p-n junction can be formed at the level of a source-select gate electrode layer by providing a source-level p-doped layer that is heavily doped with boron atoms and an underlying sacrificial source-level sacrificial layer that is subsequently replaced with an n-doped source contact layer. Due to a fast diffusion rate of the boron atoms compared to n-type dopant atoms from the n-doped source contact layer, the boron atoms diffuse farther upward than the n-type dopant atoms from the n-doped source contact layer at a bottom portion of each vertical semiconductor channel. A sharp p-n junction is formed at the level of the source-select gate electrode layer to provide sufficient GIDL current for a cell erase operation.

Three-dimensional memory devices of various embodiments of the present disclosure include a monolithic three-dimensional NAND string memory device, and can be fabricated using the various embodiments described herein. The monolithic three-dimensional NAND string is located in a monolithic, three-dimensional array of NAND strings located over the substrate. At least one memory cell in the first device level of the three-dimensional array of NAND strings is located over another memory cell in the second device level of the three-dimensional array of NAND strings.

Generally, a semiconductor package (or a “package”) refers to a unit semiconductor device that can be attached to a circuit board through a set of pins or solder balls. A semiconductor package may include a semiconductor chip (or a “chip”) or a plurality of semiconductor chips that are bonded thereamongst, for example, by flip-chip bonding or another chip-to-chip bonding. A package or a chip may include a single semiconductor die (or a “die”) or a plurality of semiconductor dies. A die is the smallest unit that can independently execute external commands or report status. Typically, a package or a chip with multiple dies is capable of simultaneously executing as many external commands as the total number of planes therein. Each die includes one or more planes. Identical concurrent operations can be executed in each plane within a same die, although there may be some restrictions. In embodiments in which a die is a memory die, i.e., a die including memory elements, concurrent read operations, concurrent write operations, or concurrent erase operations can be performed in each plane within a same memory die. In a memory die, each plane contains a number of memory blocks (or “blocks”), which are the smallest unit that can be erased by in a single erase operation. Each memory block contains a number of pages, which are the smallest units that can be selected for programming. A page is also the smallest unit that can be selected to a read operation.

Referring to FIGS. 1A-1C, a first exemplary structure according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated. FIG. 1C is a magnified view of an in-process source-level material layers 10′ illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B. The first exemplary structure includes a substrate 8 and semiconductor devices 710 formed thereupon. The substrate 8 includes a substrate semiconductor layer 9 at least at an upper portion thereof. Shallow trench isolation structures 720 can be formed in an upper portion of the substrate semiconductor layer 9 to provide electrical isolation among the semiconductor devices. The semiconductor devices 710 can include, for example, field effect transistors including respective transistor active regions 742 (i.e., source regions and drain regions), channel regions 746, and gate structures 750. The field effect transistors may be arranged in a CMOS configuration. Each gate structure 750 can include, for example, a gate dielectric 752, a gate electrode 754, a dielectric gate spacer 756 and a gate cap dielectric 758. The semiconductor devices can include any semiconductor circuitry to support operation of a memory structure to be subsequently formed, which is typically referred to as a driver circuitry, which is also known as peripheral circuitry. As used herein, a peripheral circuitry refers to any, each, or all, of word line decoder circuitry, word line switching circuitry, bit line decoder circuitry, bit line sensing and/or switching circuitry, power supply/distribution circuitry, data buffer and/or latch, or any other semiconductor circuitry that can be implemented outside a memory array structure for a memory device. For example, the semiconductor devices can include word line switching devices for electrically biasing word lines of three-dimensional memory structures to be subsequently formed.

Dielectric material layers are formed over the semiconductor devices, which are herein referred to as lower-level dielectric material layers 760. The lower-level dielectric material layers 760 can include, for example, a dielectric liner 762 (such as a silicon nitride liner that blocks diffusion of mobile ions and/or apply appropriate stress to underlying structures), first dielectric material layers 764 that overlie the dielectric liner 762, a silicon nitride layer (e.g., hydrogen diffusion barrier) 766 that overlies the first dielectric material layers 764, and at least one second dielectric layer 768.

The dielectric layer stack including the lower-level dielectric material layers 760 functions as a matrix for lower-level metal interconnect structures 780 that provide electrical wiring among the various nodes of the semiconductor devices and landing pads for through-memory-level contact via structures to be subsequently formed. The lower-level metal interconnect structures 780 are embedded within the dielectric layer stack of the lower-level dielectric material layers 760, and comprise a lower-level metal line structure located under and optionally contacting a bottom surface of the silicon nitride layer 766.

For example, the lower-level metal interconnect structures 780 can be embedded within the first dielectric material layers 764. The first dielectric material layers 764 may be a plurality of dielectric material layers in which various elements of the lower-level metal interconnect structures 780 are sequentially embedded. Each dielectric material layer among the first dielectric material layers 764 may include any of doped silicate glass, undoped silicate glass, organosilicate glass, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, and dielectric metal oxides (such as aluminum oxide). In one embodiment, the first dielectric material layers 764 can comprise, or consist essentially of, dielectric material layers having dielectric constants that do not exceed the dielectric constant of undoped silicate glass (silicon oxide) of 3.9. The lower-level metal interconnect structures 780 can include various device contact via structures 782 (e.g., source and drain electrodes which contact the respective source and drain nodes of the device or gate electrode contacts), intermediate lower-level metal line structures 784, lower-level metal via structures 786, and landing-pad-level metal line structures 788 that are configured to function as landing pads for through-memory-level contact via structures to be subsequently formed.

The landing-pad-level metal line structures 788 can be formed within a topmost dielectric material layer of the first dielectric material layers 764 (which can be a plurality of dielectric material layers). Each of the lower-level metal interconnect structures 780 can include a metallic nitride liner and a metal fill structure. Top surfaces of the landing-pad-level metal line structures 788 and the topmost surface of the first dielectric material layers 764 may be planarized by a planarization process, such as chemical mechanical planarization. The silicon nitride layer 766 can be formed directly on the top surfaces of the landing-pad-level metal line structures 788 and the topmost surface of the first dielectric material layers 764.

The at least one second dielectric material layer 768 may include a single dielectric material layer or a plurality of dielectric material layers. Each dielectric material layer among the at least one second dielectric material layer 768 may include any of doped silicate glass, undoped silicate glass, and organosilicate glass. In one embodiment, the at least one first second material layer 768 can comprise, or consist essentially of, dielectric material layers having dielectric constants that do not exceed the dielectric constant of undoped silicate glass (silicon oxide) of 3.9.

An optional layer of a metallic material and a layer of a semiconductor material can be deposited over, or within patterned recesses of, the at least one second dielectric material layer 768, and is lithographically patterned to provide an optional conductive plate layer 6 and in-process source-level material layers 10′. The optional conductive plate layer 6, if present, provides a high conductivity conduction path for electrical current that flows into, or out of, the in-process source-level material layers 10′. The optional conductive plate layer 6 includes a conductive material such as a metal or a heavily doped semiconductor material. The optional conductive plate layer 6, for example, may include a tungsten layer having a thickness in a range from 3 nm to 100 nm, although lesser and greater thicknesses can also be used. A metal nitride layer (not shown) may be provided as a diffusion barrier layer on top of the conductive plate layer 6. The conductive plate layer 6 may function as a special source line in the completed device. In addition, the conductive plate layer 6 may comprise an etch stop layer and may comprise any suitable conductive, semiconductor or insulating layer. The optional conductive plate layer 6 can include a metallic compound material such as a conductive metallic nitride (e.g., TiN) and/or a metal (e.g., W). The thickness of the optional conductive plate layer 6 may be in a range from 5 nm to 100 nm, although lesser and greater thicknesses can also be used.

The in-process source-level material layers 10′ can include various layers that are subsequently modified to form source-level material layers. The source-level material layers, upon formation in subsequent processing steps by modification of the in-process source-level material layers 10′, include a source contact layer that functions as a common source region for vertical field effect transistors of a three-dimensional memory device. The in-process source-level material layers 10′ include a source-level sacrificial layer 104 and at least one source-level semiconductor layer (such as a lower source-level semiconductor layer 112 and/or an upper source-level semiconductor layer 116) including boron atoms as p-type dopant atoms. In one embodiment, the in-process source-level material layer 10′ can include, from bottom to top, a lower source-level semiconductor layer 112, a lower sacrificial liner 103, a source-level sacrificial layer 104, an upper sacrificial liner 105, an upper source-level semiconductor layer 116, a source-level insulating layer 117, and a source-select-level conductive layer 118.

In one embodiment, the lower source-level semiconductor layer 112 can include a p-doped semiconductor material such as p-doped polysilicon or p-doped amorphous silicon. The lower source-level semiconductor layer 112 can include boron atoms at an atomic concentration in a range from 1.0×10¹⁹/cm³ to 1.0×10²¹/cm³, such as from 1.0×10²⁰/cm³ to 8.0×10²⁰/cm³. The lower source-level semiconductor layer 112 can be formed by chemical vapor deposition with in-situ n-type doping or with ex-situ n-type doping. For example, boron atoms can be implanted into an intrinsic amorphous silicon layer or an intrinsic polysilicon layer to provide the lower source-level semiconductor layer 112.

Alternatively, the lower source-level semiconductor layer 112 includes an n-doped semiconductor material such as n-doped polysilicon or n-doped amorphous silicon. The lower source-level semiconductor layer 112 can include n-type dopant atoms at an atomic concentration in a range from 1.0×10²⁰/cm³ to 2.0×10²¹/cm³, such as from 2.0×10²⁰/cm³ to 8.0×10²⁰/cm³. The n-type dopants atoms can include phosphorus atoms, arsenic atoms, antimony atoms, or a combination thereof. In one embodiment, the n-type dopant atoms in the lower source-level semiconductor layer 112 can consist essentially of phosphorus atoms. In another embodiment, the n-type dopant atoms in the lower source-level semiconductor layer 112 can consist essentially of arsenic atoms. In one embodiment, the n-type dopant atoms in the lower source-level semiconductor layer 112 can consist essentially of phosphorus atoms and arsenic atoms. The lower source-level semiconductor layer 112 can be formed by chemical vapor deposition with in-situ n-type doping or with ex-situ n-type doping. The thickness of the lower source-level semiconductor layer 112 can be in a range from 10 nm to 300 nm, such as from 20 nm to 150 nm, although lesser and greater thicknesses can also be used.

The lower sacrificial liner 103 and the upper sacrificial liner 105 include materials that can function as an etch stop material during removal of the source-level sacrificial layer 104. For example, the lower sacrificial liner 103 and the upper sacrificial liner 105 can include silicon oxide, silicon nitride, and/or a dielectric metal oxide. In one embodiment, each of the lower sacrificial liner 103 and the upper sacrificial liner 105 can include a silicon oxide layer having a thickness in a range from 2 nm to 30 nm, although lesser and greater thicknesses can also be used.

The source-level sacrificial layer 104 includes a sacrificial material that can be removed selective to the lower sacrificial liner 103 and the upper sacrificial liner 105. In one embodiment, the source-level sacrificial layer 104 can include a semiconductor material such as undoped amorphous silicon or a silicon-germanium alloy with an atomic concentration of germanium greater than 20%. In one embodiment, the source-level sacrificial layer 104 can consist essentially of undoped amorphous silicon or a silicon-germanium alloy with an atomic concentration of germanium greater than 20%. The source-level sacrificial layer 104 can be deposited by chemical vapor deposition. The thickness of the source-level sacrificial layer 104 can be in a range from 30 nm to 400 nm, such as from 60 nm to 200 nm, although lesser and greater thicknesses can also be used.

In one embodiment, the upper source-level semiconductor layer 116 includes an n-doped semiconductor material such as n-doped polysilicon or n-doped amorphous silicon. The upper source-level semiconductor layer 116 can include n-type dopant atoms at an atomic concentration in a range from 1.0×10²⁰/cm³ to 2.0×10²¹/cm³, such as from 2.0×10²⁰/cm³ to 8.0×10²⁰/cm³. The n-type dopants atoms can include phosphorus atoms, arsenic atoms, antimony atoms, or a combination thereof. In one embodiment, the n-type dopant atoms in the upper source-level semiconductor layer 116 can consist essentially of phosphorus atoms. In another embodiment, the n-type dopant atoms in the upper source-level semiconductor layer 116 can consist essentially of arsenic atoms. In one embodiment, the n-type dopant atoms in the upper source-level semiconductor layer 116 can consist essentially of phosphorus atoms and arsenic atoms. The upper source-level semiconductor layer 116 can be formed by chemical vapor deposition with in-situ n-type doping or with ex-situ n-type doping.

Alternatively, the upper source-level semiconductor layer 116 can include a p-doped semiconductor material such as p-doped polysilicon or p-doped amorphous silicon. The upper source-level semiconductor layer 116 can include boron atoms at an atomic concentration in a range from 1.0×10¹⁹/cm³ to 1.0×10²¹/cm³, such as from 1.0×10²⁰/cm³ to 8.0×10²⁰/cm³. The upper source-level semiconductor layer 116 can be formed by chemical vapor deposition with in-situ n-type doping or with ex-situ n-type doping. For example, boron atoms can be implanted into an intrinsic amorphous silicon layer or an intrinsic polysilicon layer to provide the upper source-level semiconductor layer 116. The thickness of the upper source-level semiconductor layer 116 can be in a range from 10 nm to 300 nm, such as from 20 nm to 150 nm, although lesser and greater thicknesses can also be used.

At least one of the lower source-level semiconductor layer 112 and the upper source-level semiconductor layer 116 has a p-type doping and includes boron as electrical dopants. In one embodiment, the lower source-level semiconductor layer 112 is p-doped and the upper source-level semiconductor layer 116 is n-doped. In another embodiment, the lower source-level semiconductor layer 112 is n-doped and the upper source-level semiconductor layer 116 is p-doped. In yet another embodiment, the lower source-level semiconductor layer 112 and the upper source-level semiconductor layer 116 are p-doped.

The source-level insulating layer 117 includes a dielectric material such as silicon oxide. The thickness of the source-level insulating layer 117 can be in a range from 20 nm to 400 nm, such as from 40 nm to 200 nm, although lesser and greater thicknesses can also be used. The source-select-level conductive layer 118 can include a conductive material that can be used as a source-select-level gate electrode. For example, the source-select-level conductive layer 118 can include a doped semiconductor material such as doped polysilicon or doped amorphous silicon that can be subsequently converted into doped polysilicon by an anneal process. The thickness of the optional source-level conductive layer 118 can be in a range from 30 nm to 200 nm, such as from 60 nm to 100 nm, although lesser and greater thicknesses can also be used.

The in-process source-level material layers 10′ can be formed directly above a subset of the semiconductor devices on the substrate 8 (e.g., silicon wafer). As used herein, a first element is located “directly above” a second element if the first element is located above a horizontal plane including a topmost surface of the second element and an area of the first element and an area of the second element has an areal overlap in a plan view (i.e., along a vertical plane or direction perpendicular to the top surface of the substrate 8.

The optional conductive plate layer 6 and the in-process source-level material layers 10′ may be patterned to provide openings in areas in which through-memory-level contact via structures and through-dielectric contact via structures are to be subsequently formed. Patterned portions of the stack of the conductive plate layer 6 and the in-process source-level material layers 10′ are present in each memory array region 100 in which three-dimensional memory stack structures are to be subsequently formed. The at least one second dielectric material layer 768 can include a blanket layer portion underlying the conductive plate layer 6 and the in-process source-level material layers 10′ and a patterned portion that fills gaps among the patterned portions of the conductive plate layer 6 and the in-process source-level material layers 10′.

The optional conductive plate layer 6 and the in-process source-level material layers 10′ can be patterned such that an opening extends over a staircase region 200 in which contact via structures contacting word line electrically conductive layers are to be subsequently formed. In one embodiment, the staircase region 200 can be laterally spaced from the memory array region 100 along a first horizontal direction hd1. A horizontal direction that is perpendicular to the first horizontal direction hd1 is herein referred to as a second horizontal direction hd2. In one embodiment, additional openings in the optional conductive plate layer 6 and the in-process source-level material layers 10′ can be formed within the area of a memory array region 100, in which a three-dimensional memory array including memory stack structures is to be subsequently formed. A peripheral device region 400 that is subsequently filled with a field dielectric material portion can be provided adjacent to the staircase region 200.

The region of the semiconductor devices 710 and the combination of the lower-level dielectric layers 760 and the lower-level metal interconnect structures 780 is herein referred to an underlying peripheral device region 700, which is located underneath a memory-level assembly to be subsequently formed and includes peripheral devices for the memory-level assembly. The lower-level metal interconnect structures 780 are embedded in the lower-level dielectric layers 760.

The lower-level metal interconnect structures 780 can be electrically connected to active nodes (e.g., transistor active regions 742 or gate electrodes 754) of the semiconductor devices 710 (e.g., CMOS devices), and are located at the level of the lower-level dielectric layers 760. Through-memory-level contact via structures can be subsequently formed directly on the lower-level metal interconnect structures 780 to provide electrical connection to memory devices to be subsequently formed. In one embodiment, the pattern of the lower-level metal interconnect structures 780 can be selected such that the landing-pad-level metal line structures 788 (which are a subset of the lower-level metal interconnect structures 780 located at the topmost portion of the lower-level metal interconnect structures 780) can provide landing pad structures for the through-memory-level contact via structures to be subsequently formed.

Referring to FIG. 2, an alternating stack of first material layers and second material layers is subsequently formed. Each first material layer can include a first material, and each second material layer can include a second material that is different from the first material. In embodiments in which at least another alternating stack of material layer is subsequently formed over the alternating stack of the first material layers and the second material layers, the alternating stack is herein referred to as a first-tier alternating stack. The level of the first-tier alternating stack is herein referred to as a first-tier level, and the level of the alternating stack to be subsequently formed immediately above the first-tier level is herein referred to as a second-tier level, etc.

The first-tier alternating stack can include first insulating layers 132 as the first material layers, and first spacer material layers as the second material layers. In one embodiment, the first spacer material layers can be sacrificial material layers that are subsequently replaced with electrically conductive layers. In another embodiment, the first spacer material layers can be electrically conductive layers that are not subsequently replaced with other layers. While the present disclosure is described using embodiments in which sacrificial material layers are replaced with electrically conductive layers, in other embodiments the spacer material layers are formed as electrically conductive layers (thereby obviating the need to perform replacement processes).

In one embodiment, the first material layers and the second material layers can be first insulating layers 132 and first sacrificial material layers 142, respectively. In one embodiment, each first insulating layer 132 can include a first insulating material, and each first sacrificial material layer 142 can include a first sacrificial material. An alternating plurality of first insulating layers 132 and first sacrificial material layers 142 is formed over the in-process source-level material layers 10′. As used herein, a “sacrificial material” refers to a material that is removed during a subsequent processing step.

As used herein, an alternating stack of first elements and second elements refers to a structure in which instances of the first elements and instances of the second elements alternate. Each instance of the first elements that is not an end element of the alternating plurality is adjoined by two instances of the second elements on both sides, and each instance of the second elements that is not an end element of the alternating plurality is adjoined by two instances of the first elements on both ends. The first elements may have the same thickness thereamongst, or may have different thicknesses. The second elements may have the same thickness thereamongst, or may have different thicknesses. The alternating plurality of first material layers and second material layers may begin with an instance of the first material layers or with an instance of the second material layers, and may end with an instance of the first material layers or with an instance of the second material layers. In one embodiment, an instance of the first elements and an instance of the second elements may form a unit that is repeated with periodicity within the alternating plurality.

The first-tier alternating stack (132, 142) can include first insulating layers 132 composed of the first material, and first sacrificial material layers 142 composed of the second material, which is different from the first material. The first material of the first insulating layers 132 can be at least one insulating material. Insulating materials that can be used for the first insulating layers 132 include, but are not limited to silicon oxide (including doped or undoped silicate glass), silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, organosilicate glass (OSG), spin-on dielectric materials, dielectric metal oxides that are commonly known as high dielectric constant (high-k) dielectric oxides (e.g., aluminum oxide, hafnium oxide, etc.) and silicates thereof, dielectric metal oxynitrides and silicates thereof, and organic insulating materials. In one embodiment, the first material of the first insulating layers 132 can be silicon oxide.

The second material of the first sacrificial material layers 142 is a sacrificial material that can be removed selective to the first material of the first insulating layers 132. As used herein, a removal of a first material is “selective to” a second material if the removal process removes the first material at a rate that is at least twice the rate of removal of the second material. The ratio of the rate of removal of the first material to the rate of removal of the second material is herein referred to as a “selectivity” of the removal process for the first material with respect to the second material.

The first sacrificial material layers 142 may comprise an insulating material, a semiconductor material, or a conductive material. The second material of the first sacrificial material layers 142 can be subsequently replaced with electrically conductive electrodes which can function, for example, as control gate electrodes of a vertical NAND device. In one embodiment, the first sacrificial material layers 142 can be material layers that comprise silicon nitride.

In one embodiment, the first insulating layers 132 can include silicon oxide, and sacrificial material layers can include silicon nitride sacrificial material layers. The first material of the first insulating layers 132 can be deposited, for example, by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). For example, if silicon oxide is used for the first insulating layers 132, tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) can be used as the precursor material for the CVD process. The second material of the first sacrificial material layers 142 can be formed, for example, CVD or atomic layer deposition (ALD).

The thicknesses of the first insulating layers 132 and the first sacrificial material layers 142 can be in a range from 20 nm to 50 nm, although lesser and greater thicknesses can be used for each first insulating layer 132 and for each first sacrificial material layer 142. The number of repetitions of the pairs of a first insulating layer 132 and a first sacrificial material layer 142 can be in a range from 2 to 1,024, and typically from 8 to 256, although a greater number of repetitions can also be used. In one embodiment, each first sacrificial material layer 142 in the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142) can have a uniform thickness that is substantially invariant within each respective first sacrificial material layer 142.

A first insulating cap layer 170 is subsequently formed over the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142). The first insulating cap layer 170 includes a dielectric material, which can be any dielectric material that can be used for the first insulating layers 132. In one embodiment, the first insulating cap layer 170 includes the same dielectric material as the first insulating layers 132. The thickness of the insulating cap layer 170 can be in a range from 20 nm to 300 nm, although lesser and greater thicknesses can also be used.

Referring to FIG. 3, the first insulating cap layer 170 and the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142) can be patterned to form first stepped surfaces in the staircase region 200. The staircase region 200 can include a respective first stepped area in which the first stepped surfaces are formed, and a second stepped area in which additional stepped surfaces are to be subsequently formed in a second-tier structure (to be subsequently formed over a first-tier structure) and/or additional tier structures. The first stepped surfaces can be formed, for example, by forming a mask layer with an opening therein, etching a cavity within the levels of the first insulating cap layer 170, and iteratively expanding the etched area and vertically recessing the cavity by etching each pair of a first insulating layer 132 and a first sacrificial material layer 142 located directly underneath the bottom surface of the etched cavity within the etched area. In one embodiment, top surfaces of the first sacrificial material layers 142 can be physically exposed at the first stepped surfaces. The cavity overlying the first stepped surfaces is herein referred to as a first stepped cavity.

A dielectric fill material (such as undoped silicate glass or doped silicate glass) can be deposited to fill the first stepped cavity. Excess portions of the dielectric fill material can be removed from above the horizontal plane including the top surface of the first insulating cap layer 170. A remaining portion of the dielectric fill material that fills the region overlying the first stepped surfaces constitute a first retro-stepped dielectric material portion 165. As used herein, a “retro-stepped” element refers to an element that has stepped surfaces and a horizontal cross-sectional area that increases monotonically as a function of a vertical distance from a top surface of a substrate on which the element is present. The first-tier alternating stack (132, 142) and the first retro-stepped dielectric material portion 165 collectively constitute a first-tier structure, which is an in-process structure that is subsequently modified.

An inter-tier dielectric layer 180 may be optionally deposited over the first-tier structure (132, 142, 170, 165). The inter-tier dielectric layer 180 includes a dielectric material such as silicon oxide. In one embodiment, the inter-tier dielectric layer 180 can include a doped silicate glass having a greater etch rate than the material of the first insulating layers 132 (which can include an undoped silicate glass). For example, the inter-tier dielectric layer 180 can include phosphosilicate glass. The thickness of the inter-tier dielectric layer 180 can be in a range from 30 nm to 300 nm, although lesser and greater thicknesses can also be used.

Referring to FIGS. 4A and 4B, various first-tier openings (149, 129) can be formed through the inter-tier dielectric layer 180 and the first-tier structure (132, 142, 170, 165) and into the in-process source-level material layers 10′. A photoresist layer (not shown) can be applied over the inter-tier dielectric layer 180, and can be lithographically patterned to form various openings therethrough. The pattern of openings in the photoresist layer can be transferred through the inter-tier dielectric layer 180 and the first-tier structure (132, 142, 170, 165) and into the in-process source-level material layers 10′ by a first anisotropic etch process to form the various first-tier openings (149, 129) concurrently, i.e., during the first isotropic etch process. The various first-tier openings (149, 129) can include first-tier memory openings 149 and first-tier support openings 129. Locations of steps S in the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142) are illustrated as dotted lines in FIG. 4B.

The first-tier memory openings 149 are openings that are formed in the memory array region 100 through each layer within the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142) and are subsequently used to form memory stack structures therein. The first-tier memory openings 149 can be formed in clusters of first-tier memory openings 149 that are laterally spaced apart along the second horizontal direction hd2. Each cluster of first-tier memory openings 149 can be formed as a two-dimensional array of first-tier memory openings 149.

The first-tier support openings 129 are openings that are formed in the staircase region 200 and are subsequently used to form staircase-region contact via structures that interconnect a respective pair of an underlying lower-level metal interconnect structure 780 (such as a landing-pad-level metal line structure 788) and an electrically conductive layer (which can be formed as one of the spacer material layers or can be formed by replacement of a sacrificial material layer within the electrically conductive layer). A subset of the first-tier support openings 129 that is formed through the first retro-stepped dielectric material portion 165 can be formed through a respective horizontal surface of the first stepped surfaces. Further, each of the first-tier support openings 129 can be formed directly above (i.e., above, and with an areal overlap with) a respective one of the lower-level metal interconnect structure 780.

In one embodiment, the first anisotropic etch process can include an initial step in which the materials of the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142) are etched concurrently with the material of the first retro-stepped dielectric material portion 165. The chemistry of the initial etch step can alternate to optimize etching of the first and second materials in the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142) while providing a comparable average etch rate to the material of the first retro-stepped dielectric material portion 165. The first anisotropic etch process can use, for example, a series of reactive ion etch processes or a single reaction etch process (e.g., CF₄/O₂/Ar etch). The sidewalls of the various first-tier openings (149, 129) can be substantially vertical, or can be tapered.

After etching through the alternating stack (132, 142) and the first retro-stepped dielectric material portion 165, the chemistry of a terminal portion of the first anisotropic etch process can be selected to etch through the dielectric material(s) of the at least one second dielectric layer 768 with a higher etch rate than an average etch rate for the in-process source-level material layers 10′. For example, the terminal portion of the anisotropic etch process may include a step that etches the dielectric material(s) of the at least one second dielectric layer 768 selective to a semiconductor material within a component layer in the in-process source-level material layers 10′. In one embodiment, the terminal portion of the first anisotropic etch process can etch through the source-select-level conductive layer 118, the source-level insulating layer 117, the upper source-level semiconductor layer 116, the upper sacrificial liner 105, the source-level sacrificial layer 104, and the lower sacrificial liner 103, and at least partly into the lower source-level semiconductor layer 112. The terminal portion of the first anisotropic etch process can include at least one etch chemistry for etching the various semiconductor materials of the in-process source-level material layers 10′. The photoresist layer can be subsequently removed, for example, by ashing.

Optionally, the portions of the first-tier memory openings 149 and the first-tier support openings 129 at the level of the inter-tier dielectric layer 180 can be laterally expanded by an isotropic etch. In this case, the inter-tier dielectric layer 180 can comprise a dielectric material (such as borosilicate glass) having a greater etch rate than the first insulating layers 132 (that can include undoped silicate glass) in dilute hydrofluoric acid. An isotropic etch (such as a wet etch using HF) can be used to expand the lateral dimensions of the first-tier memory openings 149 at the level of the inter-tier dielectric layer 180. The portions of the first-tier memory openings 149 located at the level of the inter-tier dielectric layer 180 may be optionally widened to provide a larger landing pad for second-tier memory openings to be subsequently formed through a second-tier alternating stack (to be subsequently formed prior to formation of the second-tier memory openings).

Referring to FIG. 5, sacrificial first-tier opening fill structures (148, 128) can be formed in the various first-tier openings (149, 129). For example, a sacrificial first-tier fill material is deposited concurrently deposited in each of the first-tier openings (149, 129). The sacrificial first-tier fill material includes a material that can be subsequently removed selective to the materials of the first insulating layers 132 and the first sacrificial material layers 142.

In one embodiment, the sacrificial first-tier fill material can include a semiconductor material such as silicon (e.g., a-Si or polysilicon), a silicon-germanium alloy, germanium, a III-V compound semiconductor material, or a combination thereof. Optionally, a thin etch stop liner (such as a silicon oxide layer or a silicon nitride layer having a thickness in a range from 1 nm to 3 nm) may be used prior to depositing the sacrificial first-tier fill material. The sacrificial first-tier fill material may be formed by a non-conformal deposition or a conformal deposition method.

In another embodiment, the sacrificial first-tier fill material can include a silicon oxide material having a higher etch rate than the materials of the first insulating layers 132, the first insulating cap layer 170, and the inter-tier dielectric layer 180. For example, the sacrificial first-tier fill material may include borosilicate glass or porous or non-porous organosilicate glass having an etch rate that is at least 100 times higher than the etch rate of densified TEOS oxide (i.e., a silicon oxide material formed by decomposition of tetraethylorthosilicate glass in a chemical vapor deposition process and subsequently densified in an anneal process) in a 100:1 dilute hydrofluoric acid. In this case, a thin etch stop liner (such as a silicon nitride layer having a thickness in a range from 1 nm to 3 nm) may be used prior to depositing the sacrificial first-tier fill material. The sacrificial first-tier fill material may be formed by a non-conformal deposition or a conformal deposition method.

In yet another embodiment, the sacrificial first-tier fill material can include amorphous silicon or a carbon-containing material (such as amorphous carbon or diamond-like carbon) that can be subsequently removed by ashing, or a silicon-based polymer that can be subsequently removed selective to the materials of the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142).

Portions of the deposited sacrificial material can be removed from above the topmost layer of the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142), such as from above the inter-tier dielectric layer 180. For example, the sacrificial first-tier fill material can be recessed to a top surface of the inter-tier dielectric layer 180 using a planarization process. The planarization process can include a recess etch, chemical mechanical planarization (CMP), or a combination thereof. The top surface of the inter-tier dielectric layer 180 can be used as an etch stop layer or a planarization stop layer.

Remaining portions of the sacrificial first-tier fill material comprise sacrificial first-tier opening fill structures (148, 128). Specifically, each remaining portion of the sacrificial material in a first-tier memory opening 149 constitutes a sacrificial first-tier memory opening fill structure 148. Each remaining portion of the sacrificial material in a first-tier support opening 129 constitutes a sacrificial first-tier support opening fill structure 128. The various sacrificial first-tier opening fill structures (148, 128) are concurrently formed, i.e., during a same set of processes including the deposition process that deposits the sacrificial first-tier fill material and the planarization process that removes the first-tier deposition process from above the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142) (such as from above the top surface of the inter-tier dielectric layer 180). The top surfaces of the sacrificial first-tier opening fill structures (148, 128) can be coplanar with the top surface of the inter-tier dielectric layer 180. Each of the sacrificial first-tier opening fill structures (148, 128) may, or may not, include cavities therein.

Referring to FIG. 6, a second-tier structure can be formed over the first-tier structure (132, 142, 170, 148). The second-tier structure can include an additional alternating stack of insulating layers and spacer material layers, which can be sacrificial material layers. For example, a second-tier alternating stack (232, 242) of material layers can be subsequently formed on the top surface of the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142). The second-tier alternating stack (232, 242) includes an alternating plurality of third material layers and fourth material layers. Each third material layer can include a third material, and each fourth material layer can include a fourth material that is different from the third material. In one embodiment, the third material can be the same as the first material of the first insulating layer 132, and the fourth material can be the same as the second material of the first sacrificial material layers 142.

In one embodiment, the third material layers can be second insulating layers 232 and the fourth material layers can be second spacer material layers that provide vertical spacing between each vertically neighboring pair of the second insulating layers 232. In one embodiment, the third material layers and the fourth material layers can be second insulating layers 232 and second sacrificial material layers 242, respectively. The third material of the second insulating layers 232 may be at least one insulating material. The fourth material of the second sacrificial material layers 242 may be a sacrificial material that can be removed selective to the third material of the second insulating layers 232. The second sacrificial material layers 242 may comprise an insulating material, a semiconductor material, or a conductive material. The fourth material of the second sacrificial material layers 242 can be subsequently replaced with electrically conductive electrodes which can function, for example, as control gate electrodes of a vertical NAND device.

In one embodiment, each second insulating layer 232 can include a second insulating material, and each second sacrificial material layer 242 can include a second sacrificial material. In this case, the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242) can include an alternating plurality of second insulating layers 232 and second sacrificial material layers 242. The third material of the second insulating layers 232 can be deposited, for example, by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The fourth material of the second sacrificial material layers 242 can be formed, for example, CVD or atomic layer deposition (ALD).

The third material of the second insulating layers 232 can be at least one insulating material. Insulating materials that can be used for the second insulating layers 232 can be any material that can be used for the first insulating layers 132. The fourth material of the second sacrificial material layers 242 is a sacrificial material that can be removed selective to the third material of the second insulating layers 232. Sacrificial materials that can be used for the second sacrificial material layers 242 can be any material that can be used for the first sacrificial material layers 142. In one embodiment, the second insulating material can be the same as the first insulating material, and the second sacrificial material can be the same as the first sacrificial material.

The thicknesses of the second insulating layers 232 and the second sacrificial material layers 242 can be in a range from 20 nm to 50 nm, although lesser and greater thicknesses can be used for each second insulating layer 232 and for each second sacrificial material layer 242. The number of repetitions of the pairs of a second insulating layer 232 and a second sacrificial material layer 242 can be in a range from 2 to 1,024, and typically from 8 to 256, although a greater number of repetitions can also be used. In one embodiment, each second sacrificial material layer 242 in the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242) can have a uniform thickness that is substantially invariant within each respective second sacrificial material layer 242.

Second stepped surfaces in the second stepped area can be formed in the staircase region 200 using a same set of processing steps as the processing steps used to form the first stepped surfaces in the first stepped area with suitable adjustment to the pattern of at least one masking layer. A second retro-stepped dielectric material portion 265 can be formed over the second stepped surfaces in the staircase region 200.

A second insulating cap layer 270 can be subsequently formed over the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242). The second insulating cap layer 270 includes a dielectric material that is different from the material of the second sacrificial material layers 242. In one embodiment, the second insulating cap layer 270 can include silicon oxide. In one embodiment, the first and second sacrificial material layers (142, 242) can comprise silicon nitride.

Generally speaking, at least one alternating stack of insulating layers (132, 232) and spacer material layers (such as sacrificial material layers (142, 242)) can be formed over the in-process source-level material layers 10′, and at least one retro-stepped dielectric material portion (165, 265) can be formed over the staircase regions on the at least one alternating stack (132, 142, 232, 242).

Optionally, drain-select-level isolation structures 72 can be formed through a subset of layers in an upper portion of the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242). The second sacrificial material layers 242 that are cut by the select-drain-level isolation structures 72 correspond to the levels in which drain-select-level electrically conductive layers are subsequently formed. The drain-select-level isolation structures 72 include a dielectric material such as silicon oxide. The drain-select-level isolation structures 72 can laterally extend along a first horizontal direction hd1, and can be laterally spaced apart along a second horizontal direction hd2 that is perpendicular to the first horizontal direction hd1. The combination of the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242), the second retro-stepped dielectric material portion 265, the second insulating cap layer 270, and the optional drain-select-level isolation structures 72 collectively constitute a second-tier structure (232, 242, 265, 270, 72).

Referring to FIGS. 7A and 7B, various second-tier openings (249, 229) can be formed through the second-tier structure (232, 242, 265, 270, 72). A photoresist layer (not shown) can be applied over the second insulating cap layer 270, and can be lithographically patterned to form various openings therethrough. The pattern of the openings can be the same as the pattern of the various first-tier openings (149, 129), which is the same as the sacrificial first-tier opening fill structures (148, 128). Thus, the lithographic mask used to pattern the first-tier openings (149, 129) can be used to pattern the photoresist layer.

The pattern of openings in the photoresist layer can be transferred through the second-tier structure (232, 242, 265, 270, 72) by a second anisotropic etch process to form various second-tier openings (249, 229) concurrently, i.e., during the second anisotropic etch process. The various second-tier openings (249, 229) can include second-tier memory openings 249 and second-tier support openings 229.

The second-tier memory openings 249 are formed directly on a top surface of a respective one of the sacrificial first-tier memory opening fill structures 148. The second-tier support openings 229 are formed directly on a top surface of a respective one of the sacrificial first-tier support opening fill structures 128. Further, each second-tier support openings 229 can be formed through a horizontal surface within the second stepped surfaces, which include the interfacial surfaces between the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242) and the second retro-stepped dielectric material portion 265. Locations of steps S in the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142) and the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242) are illustrated as dotted lines in FIG. 7B.

The second anisotropic etch process can include an etch step in which the materials of the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242) are etched concurrently with the material of the second retro-stepped dielectric material portion 265. The chemistry of the etch step can alternate to optimize etching of the materials in the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242) while providing a comparable average etch rate to the material of the second retro-stepped dielectric material portion 265. The second anisotropic etch process can use, for example, a series of reactive ion etch processes or a single reaction etch process (e.g., CF₄/O₂/Ar etch). The sidewalls of the various second-tier openings (249, 229) can be substantially vertical, or can be tapered. A bottom periphery of each second-tier opening (249, 229) may be laterally offset, and/or may be located entirely within, a periphery of a top surface of an underlying sacrificial first-tier opening fill structure (148, 128). The photoresist layer can be subsequently removed, for example, by ashing.

Referring to FIG. 8, the sacrificial first-tier fill material of the sacrificial first-tier opening fill structures (148, 128) can be removed using an etch process that etches the sacrificial first-tier fill material selective to the materials of the first and second insulating layers (132, 232), the first and second sacrificial material layers (142,242), the first and second insulating cap layers (170, 270), and the inter-tier dielectric layer 180. A memory opening 49, which is also referred to as an inter-tier memory opening 49, is formed in each combination of a second-tier memory openings 249 and a volume from which a sacrificial first-tier memory opening fill structure 148 is removed. A support opening 19, which is also referred to as an inter-tier support opening 19, is formed in each combination of a second-tier support openings 229 and a volume from which a sacrificial first-tier support opening fill structure 128 is removed.

FIGS. 9A-9D provide sequential cross-sectional views of a memory opening 49 during formation of a memory opening fill structure. The same structural change occurs in each of the memory openings 49 and the support openings 19.

Referring to FIG. 9A, a memory opening 49 in the first exemplary device structure of FIG. 8 is illustrated. The memory opening 49 extends through the first-tier structure and the second-tier structure.

Referring to FIG. 9B, a stack of layers including a blocking dielectric layer 52, a charge storage layer 54, a tunneling dielectric layer 56, and a semiconductor channel material layer 60L can be sequentially deposited in the memory openings 49. The blocking dielectric layer 52 can include a single dielectric material layer or a stack of a plurality of dielectric material layers. In one embodiment, the blocking dielectric layer can include a dielectric metal oxide layer consisting essentially of a dielectric metal oxide. As used herein, a dielectric metal oxide refers to a dielectric material that includes at least one metallic element and at least oxygen. The dielectric metal oxide may consist essentially of the at least one metallic element and oxygen, or may consist essentially of the at least one metallic element, oxygen, and at least one non-metallic element such as nitrogen. In one embodiment, the blocking dielectric layer 52 can include a dielectric metal oxide having a dielectric constant greater than 7.9, i.e., having a dielectric constant greater than the dielectric constant of silicon nitride. The thickness of the dielectric metal oxide layer can be in a range from 1 nm to 20 nm, although lesser and greater thicknesses can also be used. The dielectric metal oxide layer can subsequently function as a dielectric material portion that blocks leakage of stored electrical charges to control gate electrodes. In one embodiment, the blocking dielectric layer 52 includes aluminum oxide. Alternatively or additionally, the blocking dielectric layer 52 can include a dielectric semiconductor compound such as silicon oxide, silicon oxynitride, silicon nitride, or a combination thereof.

Subsequently, the charge storage layer 54 can be formed. In one embodiment, the charge storage layer 54 can be a continuous layer or patterned discrete portions of a charge trapping material including a dielectric charge trapping material, which can be, for example, silicon nitride. Alternatively, the charge storage layer 54 can include a continuous layer or patterned discrete portions of a conductive material such as doped polysilicon or a metallic material that is patterned into multiple electrically isolated portions (e.g., floating gates), for example, by being formed within lateral recesses into sacrificial material layers (142, 242). In one embodiment, the charge storage layer 54 includes a silicon nitride layer. In one embodiment, the sacrificial material layers (142, 242) and the insulating layers (132, 232) can have vertically coincident sidewalls, and the charge storage layer 54 can be formed as a single continuous layer. Alternatively, the sacrificial material layers (142, 242) can be laterally recessed with respect to the sidewalls of the insulating layers (132, 232), and a combination of a deposition process and an anisotropic etch process can be used to form the charge storage layer 54 as a plurality of memory material portions that are vertically spaced apart. The thickness of the charge storage layer 54 can be in a range from 2 nm to 20 nm, although lesser and greater thicknesses can also be used.

The tunneling dielectric layer 56 includes a dielectric material through which charge tunneling can be performed under suitable electrical bias conditions. The charge tunneling may be performed through hot-carrier injection or by Fowler-Nordheim tunneling induced charge transfer depending on the mode of operation of the monolithic three-dimensional NAND string memory device to be formed. The tunneling dielectric layer 56 can include silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, dielectric metal oxides (such as aluminum oxide and hafnium oxide), dielectric metal oxynitride, dielectric metal silicates, alloys thereof, and/or combinations thereof. In one embodiment, the tunneling dielectric layer 56 can include a stack of a first silicon oxide layer, a silicon oxynitride layer, and a second silicon oxide layer, which is commonly known as an ONO stack. In one embodiment, the tunneling dielectric layer 56 can include a silicon oxide layer that is substantially free of carbon or a silicon oxynitride layer that is substantially free of carbon. The thickness of the tunneling dielectric layer 56 can be in a range from 2 nm to 20 nm, although lesser and greater thicknesses can also be used. The stack of the blocking dielectric layer 52, the charge storage layer 54, and the tunneling dielectric layer 56 constitutes a memory film 50 that stores memory bits.

The semiconductor channel material layer 60L includes a p-doped semiconductor material such as at least one elemental semiconductor material, at least one III-V compound semiconductor material, at least one II-VI compound semiconductor material, at least one organic semiconductor material, or other semiconductor materials known in the art. In one embodiment, the semiconductor channel material layer 60L can having a uniform doping. In one embodiment, the semiconductor channel material layer 60L has a p-type doping in which p-type dopants (such as boron atoms) are present at an atomic concentration in a range from 1.0×10¹²/cm³ to 1.0×10¹⁸/cm³, such as from 1.0×10¹⁴/cm³ to 1.0×10¹⁷/cm³. In one embodiment, the semiconductor channel material layer 60L includes, and/or consists essentially of, boron-doped amorphous silicon or boron-doped polysilicon. In another embodiment, the semiconductor channel material layer 60L has an n-type doping in which n-type dopants (such as phosphor atoms or arsenic atoms) are present at an atomic concentration in a range from 1.0×10¹⁵/cm³ to 1.0×10¹⁹/cm³, such as from 1.0×10¹⁶/cm³ to 1.0×10¹⁸/cm³. The semiconductor channel material layer 60L can be formed by a conformal deposition method such as low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD). The thickness of the semiconductor channel material layer 60L can be in a range from 2 nm to 10 nm, although lesser and greater thicknesses can also be used. A cavity 49′ is formed in the volume of each memory opening 49 that is not filled with the deposited material layers (52, 54, 56, 60L).

Referring to FIG. 9C, in case the cavity 49′ in each memory opening is not completely filled by the semiconductor channel material layer 60L, a dielectric core layer can be deposited in the cavity 49′ to fill any remaining portion of the cavity 49′ within each memory opening. The dielectric core layer includes a dielectric material such as silicon oxide or organosilicate glass. The dielectric core layer can be deposited by a conformal deposition method such as low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD), or by a self-planarizing deposition process such as spin coating. The horizontal portion of the dielectric core layer overlying the second insulating cap layer 270 can be removed, for example, by a recess etch. The recess etch continues until top surfaces of the remaining portions of the dielectric core layer are recessed to a height between the top surface of the second insulating cap layer 270 and the bottom surface of the second insulating cap layer 270. Each remaining portion of the dielectric core layer constitutes a dielectric core 62.

Referring to FIG. 9D, a doped semiconductor material can be deposited in cavities overlying the dielectric cores 62. The doped semiconductor material has a doping of the opposite conductivity type of the doping of the semiconductor channel material layer 60L. Thus, the doped semiconductor material has an n-type doping. Portions of the deposited doped semiconductor material, the semiconductor channel material layer 60L, the tunneling dielectric layer 56, the charge storage layer 54, and the blocking dielectric layer 52 that overlie the horizontal plane including the top surface of the second insulating cap layer 270 can be removed by a planarization process such as a chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) process.

Each remaining portion of the n-doped semiconductor material constitutes a drain region 63. The dopant concentration in the drain regions 63 can be in a range from 5.0×10¹⁹/cm³ to 2.0×10²¹/cm³, although lesser and greater dopant concentrations can also be used. The doped semiconductor material can be, for example, doped polysilicon.

Each remaining portion of the semiconductor channel material layer 60L constitutes a vertical semiconductor channel 60 through which electrical current can flow when a vertical NAND device including the vertical semiconductor channel 60 is turned on. A tunneling dielectric layer 56 is surrounded by a charge storage layer 54, and laterally surrounds a vertical semiconductor channel 60. Each adjoining set of a blocking dielectric layer 52, a charge storage layer 54, and a tunneling dielectric layer 56 collectively constitute a memory film 50, which can store electrical charges with a macroscopic retention time. In some embodiments, a blocking dielectric layer 52 may not be present in the memory film 50 at this step, and a blocking dielectric layer may be subsequently formed after formation of backside recesses. As used herein, a macroscopic retention time refers to a retention time suitable for operation of a memory device as a permanent memory device such as a retention time in excess of 24 hours.

Each combination of a memory film 50 and a vertical semiconductor channel 60 (which is a vertical semiconductor channel) within a memory opening 49 constitutes a memory stack structure 55. The memory stack structure 55 is a combination of a vertical semiconductor channel 60, a tunneling dielectric layer 56, a plurality of memory elements comprising portions of the charge storage layer 54, and an optional blocking dielectric layer 52. Each combination of a memory stack structure 55, a dielectric core 62, and a drain region 63 within a memory opening 49 constitutes a memory opening fill structure 58. The in-process source-level material layers 10′, the first-tier structure (132, 142, 170, 165), the second-tier structure (232, 242, 270, 265, 72), the inter-tier dielectric layer 180, and the memory opening fill structures 58 collectively constitute a memory-level assembly.

Referring to FIG. 10, the first exemplary structure is illustrated after formation of the memory opening fill structures 58. Support pillar structures 20 are formed in the support openings 19 concurrently with formation of the memory opening fill structures 58. Each support pillar structure 20 can have a same set of components as a memory opening fill structure 58.

Referring to FIGS. 11A and 11B, a first contact level dielectric layer 280 can be formed over the second-tier structure (232, 242, 270, 265, 72). The first contact level dielectric layer 280 includes a dielectric material such as silicon oxide, and can be formed by a conformal or non-conformal deposition process. For example, the first contact level dielectric layer 280 can include undoped silicate glass and can have a thickness in a range from 100 nm to 600 nm, although lesser and greater thicknesses can also be used.

A photoresist layer can be applied over the first contact level dielectric layer 280 and can be lithographically patterned to form elongated openings that extend along the first horizontal direction hd1 between clusters of memory opening fill structures 58. Backside trenches 79 can be formed by transferring the pattern in the photoresist layer through the first contact level dielectric layer 280, the second-tier structure (232, 242, 270, 265, 72), and the first-tier structure (132, 142, 170, 165), and into the in-process source-level material layers 10′. Portions of the first contact level dielectric layer 280, the second-tier structure (232, 242, 270, 265, 72), the first-tier structure (132, 142, 170, 165), and the in-process source-level material layers 10′ that underlie the openings in the photoresist layer can be removed to form the backside trenches 79. In one embodiment, the backside trenches 79 can be formed between clusters of memory stack structures 55. The clusters of the memory stack structures 58 can be laterally spaced apart along the second horizontal direction hd2 by the backside trenches 79.

Referring to FIGS. 12 and 13A, a backside trench spacer 74 can be formed on sidewalls of each backside trench 79. For example, a conformal spacer material layer can be deposited in the backside trenches 79 and over the first contact level dielectric layer 280, and can be anisotropically etched to form the backside trench spacers 74. The backside trench spacers 74 include a material that is different from the material of the source-level sacrificial layer 104. For example, the backside trench spacers 74 can include silicon nitride.

Referring to FIG. 13B, an etchant that etches the material of the source-level sacrificial layer 104 selective to the materials of the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142), the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242), the first and second insulating cap layers (170, 270), the first contact level dielectric layer 280, the upper sacrificial liner 105, and the lower sacrificial liner 103 can be introduced into the backside trenches in an isotropic etch process. For example, if the source-level sacrificial layer 104 includes undoped amorphous silicon or an undoped amorphous silicon-germanium alloy, the backside trench spacers 74 include silicon nitride, and the upper and lower sacrificial liners (105, 103) include silicon oxide, a wet etch process using hot trimethyl-2 hydroxyethyl ammonium hydroxide (“hot TMY”) or tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide (TMAH) can be used to remove the source-level sacrificial layer 104 selective to the backside trench spacers 74 and the upper and lower sacrificial liners (105, 103). A source cavity 109 is formed in the volume from which the source-level sacrificial layer 104 is removed.

Wet etch chemicals such as hot TMY and TMAH are selective to doped semiconductor materials such as the p-doped semiconductor material and/or the n-doped semiconductor material of the upper source-level semiconductor layer 116 and the lower source-level semiconductor layer 112. Thus, use of selective wet etch chemicals such as hot TMY and TMAH for the wet etch process that forms the source cavity 109 provides a large process window against etch depth variation during formation of the backside trenches 79. Specifically, even if sidewalls of the upper source-level semiconductor layer 116 are physically exposed or even if a surface of the lower source-level semiconductor layer 112 is physically exposed upon formation of the source cavity 109 and/or the backside trench spacers 74, collateral etching of the upper source-level semiconductor layer 116 and/or the lower source-level semiconductor layer 112 is minimal, and the structural change to the first exemplary structure caused by accidental physical exposure of the surfaces of the upper source-level semiconductor layer 116 and/or the lower source-level semiconductor layer 112 during manufacturing steps do not result in device failures. Each of the memory opening fill structures 58 is physically exposed to the source cavity 109. Specifically, each of the memory opening fill structures 58 includes a sidewall and a bottom surface that are physically exposed to the source cavity 109.

Referring to FIG. 13C, a sequence of isotropic etchants, such as wet etchants, can be applied to the physically exposed portions of the memory films 50 to sequentially etch the various component layers of the memory films 50 from outside to inside, and to physically expose cylindrical surfaces of the vertical semiconductor channels 60 at the level of the source cavity 109. The upper and lower sacrificial liners (105, 103) can be collaterally etched during removal of the portions of the memory films 50 located at the level of the source cavity 109. The source cavity 109 can be expanded in volume by removal of the portions of the memory films 50 at the level of the source cavity 109 and the upper and lower sacrificial liners (105, 103). A top surface of the lower source-level semiconductor layer 112 and a bottom surface of the upper source-level semiconductor layer 116 can be physically exposed to the source cavity 109. The source cavity 109 is formed by isotropically etching the source-level sacrificial layer 104 and a bottom portion of each of the memory films 50 selective to at least one source-level semiconductor layer (such as the lower source-level semiconductor layer 112 and the upper source-level semiconductor layer 116) and the vertical semiconductor channels 60.

Referring to FIG. 13D, an n-doped semiconductor material can be deposited on the physically exposed semiconductor surfaces around the source cavity 109. The physically exposed semiconductor surfaces include bottom portions of outer sidewalls of the vertical semiconductor channels 60 and a boron-doped horizontal surface of the at least one source-level semiconductor layer (such as a bottom surface of the upper source-level semiconductor layer 116 and/or a top surface of the lower source-level semiconductor layer 112). For example, the physically exposed semiconductor surfaces can include the bottom portions of outer sidewalls of the vertical semiconductor channels 60, the top horizontal surface of the lower source-level semiconductor layer 112, and the bottom surface of the upper source-level semiconductor layer 116.

In one embodiment, the n-doped semiconductor material can be deposited on the physically exposed semiconductor surfaces around the source cavity 109 by a selective semiconductor deposition process. A semiconductor precursor gas, an etchant, and an n-type dopant precursor gas can be flowed concurrently into a process chamber including the first exemplary structure during the selective semiconductor deposition process. For example, the semiconductor precursor gas can include silane, disilane, or dichlorosilane, the etchant gas can include gaseous hydrogen chloride, and the n-type dopant precursor gas such as phosphine, arsine, or stibine. In this case, the selective semiconductor deposition process grows an n-doped semiconductor material from physically exposed semiconductor surfaces around the source cavity 109. The deposited n-doped semiconductor material forms a source contact layer 114, which can contact sidewalls of the vertical semiconductor channels 60. The atomic concentration of the n-type dopants in the deposited semiconductor material can be in a range from 1.0×10²⁰/cm³ to 2.0×10²¹/cm³, such as from 2.0×10²⁰/cm³ to 8.0×10²⁰/cm³. The source contact layer 114 as initially formed can consist essentially of semiconductor atoms and n-type dopant atoms. Alternatively, at least one non-selective n-doped semiconductor material deposition process can be used to form the source contact layer 114. Optionally, one or more etch back processes may be used in combination with a plurality of selective or non-selective deposition processes to provide a seamless and/or voidless source contact layer 114.

The duration of the selective semiconductor deposition process can be selected such that the source cavity 109 is filled with the source contact layer 114, and the source contact layer 114 contacts bottom end portions of inner sidewalls of the backside trench spacers 74. In one embodiment, the source contact layer 114 can be formed by selectively depositing an n-doped semiconductor material from semiconductor surfaces around the source cavity 109. In one embodiment, the doped semiconductor material can include doped polysilicon. Thus, the source-level sacrificial layer 104 can be replaced with the source contact layer 114.

The layer stack including the lower source-level semiconductor layer 112, the source contact layer 114, and the upper source-level semiconductor layer 116 constitutes a buried source layer (112, 114, 116). A p-n junction is present between the source contact layer 114 and the upper source-level semiconductor layer 116. The set of layers including the buried source layer (112, 114, 116), the source-level insulating layer 117, and the source-select-level conductive layer 118 constitutes source-level material layers 10, which replaces the in-process source-level material layers 10′.

Referring to FIGS. 13E and 14, the backside trench spacers 74 can be removed selective to the insulating layers (132, 232), the first and second insulating cap layers (170, 270), the first contact level dielectric layer 280, and the source contact layer 114 using an isotropic etch process. For example, if the backside trench spacers 74 include silicon nitride, a wet etch process using hot phosphoric acid can be performed to remove the backside trench spacers 74. In one embodiment, the isotropic etch process that removes the backside trench spacers 74 can be combined with a subsequent isotropic etch process that etches the sacrificial material layers (142, 242) selective to the insulating layers (132, 232), the first and second insulating cap layers (170, 270), the first contact level dielectric layer 280, and the source contact layer 114.

An oxidation process can be performed to convert physically exposed surface portions of semiconductor materials into dielectric semiconductor oxide portions. For example, surfaces portions of the source contact layer 114 and the upper source-level material layer 116 can be converted into dielectric semiconductor oxide plates 122, and surface portions of the source-select-level conductive layer 118 can be converted into annular dielectric semiconductor oxide spacers 124.

Referring to FIG. 15, the sacrificial material layers (142, 242) are can be removed selective to the insulating layers (132, 232), the first and second insulating cap layers (170, 270), the first contact level dielectric layer 280, and the source contact layer 114, the dielectric semiconductor oxide plates 122, and the annular dielectric semiconductor oxide spacers 124. For example, an etchant that selectively etches the materials of the sacrificial material layers (142, 242) selective to the materials of the insulating layers (132, 232), the first and second insulating cap layers (170, 270), the retro-stepped dielectric material portions (165, 265), and the material of the outermost layer of the memory films 50 can be introduced into the backside openings 79, for example, using an isotropic etch process. For example, the sacrificial material layers (142, 242) can include silicon nitride, the materials of the insulating layers (132, 232), the first and second insulating cap layers (170, 270), the retro-stepped dielectric material portions (165, 265), and the outermost layer of the memory films 50 can include silicon oxide materials.

The isotropic etch process can be a wet etch process using a wet etch solution, or can be a gas phase (dry) etch process in which the etchant is introduced in a vapor phase into the backside opening 79. For example, if the sacrificial material layers (142, 242) include silicon nitride, the etch process can be a wet etch process in which the first exemplary structure is immersed within a wet etch tank including phosphoric acid, which etches silicon nitride selective to silicon oxide, silicon, and various other materials used in the art.

Backside recesses (143, 243) are formed in volumes from which the sacrificial material layers (142, 242) are removed. The backside recesses (143, 243) include first backside recesses 143 that are formed in volumes from which the first sacrificial material layers 142 are removed and second backside recesses 243 that are formed in volumes from which the second sacrificial material layers 242 are removed. Each of the backside recesses (143, 243) can be a laterally extending cavity having a lateral dimension that is greater than the vertical extent of the cavity. In other words, the lateral dimension of each of the backside recesses (143, 243) can be greater than the height of the respective backside recess (143, 243). A plurality of backside recesses (143, 243) can be formed in the volumes from which the material of the sacrificial material layers (142, 242) is removed. Each of the backside recesses (143, 243) can extend substantially parallel to the top surface of the substrate semiconductor layer 9. A backside recess (143, 243) can be vertically bounded by a top surface of an underlying insulating layer (132, 232) and a bottom surface of an overlying insulating layer (132, 232). In one embodiment, each of the backside recesses (143, 243) can have a uniform height throughout.

Referring to FIG. 16, a backside blocking dielectric layer (not shown) can be optionally deposited in the backside recesses (143, 243) and the backside trenches 79 and over the first contact level dielectric layer 280. The backside blocking dielectric layer includes a dielectric material such as a dielectric metal oxide, silicon oxide, or a combination thereof. For example, the backside blocking dielectric layer can include aluminum oxide. The backside blocking dielectric layer can be formed by a conformal deposition process such as atomic layer deposition or chemical vapor deposition. The thickness of the backside blocking dielectric layer can be in a range from 1 nm to 20 nm, such as from 2 nm to 10 nm, although lesser and greater thicknesses can also be used.

At least one conductive material can be deposited in the plurality of backside recesses (243, 243), on the sidewalls of the backside trenches 79, and over the first contact level dielectric layer 280. The at least one conductive material can be deposited by a conformal deposition method, which can be, for example, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), electroless plating, electroplating, or a combination thereof. The at least one conductive material can include an elemental metal, an intermetallic alloy of at least two elemental metals, a conductive nitride of at least one elemental metal, a conductive metal oxide, a conductive doped semiconductor material, a conductive metal-semiconductor alloy such as a metal silicide, alloys thereof, and combinations or stacks thereof.

In one embodiment, the at least one conductive material can include at least one metallic material, i.e., an electrically conductive material that includes at least one metallic element. Non-limiting exemplary metallic materials that can be deposited in the backside recesses (143, 243) include tungsten, tungsten nitride, titanium, titanium nitride, tantalum, tantalum nitride, cobalt, and ruthenium. For example, the at least one conductive material can include a conductive metallic nitride liner that includes a conductive metallic nitride material such as TiN, TaN, WN, or a combination thereof, and a conductive fill material such as W, Co, Ru, Mo, Cu, or combinations thereof. In one embodiment, the at least one conductive material for filling the backside recesses (143, 243) can be a combination of titanium nitride layer and a tungsten fill material.

Electrically conductive layers (146, 246) can be formed in the backside recesses (143, 243) by deposition of the at least one conductive material. A plurality of first electrically conductive layers 146 can be formed in the plurality of first backside recesses 143, a plurality of second electrically conductive layers 246 can be formed in the plurality of second backside recesses 243, and a continuous metallic material layer (not shown) can be formed on the sidewalls of each backside trench 79 and over the first contact level dielectric layer 280. Each of the first electrically conductive layers 146 and the second electrically conductive layers 246 can include a respective conductive metallic nitride liner and a respective conductive fill material. Thus, the first and second sacrificial material layers (142, 242) can be replaced with the first and second electrically conductive layers (146, 246), respectively. Specifically, each first sacrificial material layer 142 can be replaced with an optional portion of the backside blocking dielectric layer and a first electrically conductive layer 146, and each second sacrificial material layer 242 can be replaced with an optional portion of the backside blocking dielectric layer and a second electrically conductive layer 246. A backside cavity is present in the portion of each backside trench 79 that is not filled with the continuous metallic material layer.

Residual conductive material can be removed from inside the backside trenches 79. Specifically, the deposited metallic material of the continuous metallic material layer can be etched back from the sidewalls of each backside trench 79 and from above the first contact level dielectric layer 280, for example, by an anisotropic or isotropic etch. Each remaining portion of the deposited metallic material in the first backside recesses constitutes a first electrically conductive layer 146. Each remaining portion of the deposited metallic material in the second backside recesses constitutes a second electrically conductive layer 246.

Each electrically conductive layer (146, 246) can be a conductive sheet including openings therein. A first subset of the openings through each electrically conductive layer (146, 246) can be filled with memory opening fill structures 58. A second subset of the openings through each electrically conductive layer (146, 246) can be filled with the support pillar structures 20. Each electrically conductive layer (146, 246) can have a lesser area than any underlying electrically conductive layer (146, 246) because of the first and second stepped surfaces. Each electrically conductive layer (146, 246) can have a greater area than any overlying electrically conductive layer (146, 246) because of the first and second stepped surfaces.

In some embodiment, drain-select-level isolation structures 72 may be provided at topmost levels of the second electrically conductive layers 246. A subset of the second electrically conductive layers 246 located at the levels of the drain-select-level isolation structures 72 constitutes drain select gate electrodes. A subset of the electrically conductive layer (146, 246) located underneath the drain select gate electrodes can function as combinations of a control gate and a word line located at the same level. The control gate electrodes within each electrically conductive layer (146, 246) are the control gate electrodes for a vertical memory device including the memory stack structure 55.

Each of the memory stack structures 55 comprises a vertical stack of memory elements located at each level of the electrically conductive layers (146, 246). A subset of the electrically conductive layers (146, 246) can comprise word lines for the memory elements. The semiconductor devices in the underlying peripheral device region 700 can comprise word line switch devices configured to control a bias voltage to respective word lines. The memory-level assembly is located over the substrate semiconductor layer 9. The memory-level assembly includes at least one alternating stack (132, 146, 232, 246) and memory stack structures 55 vertically extending through the at least one alternating stack (132, 146, 232, 246).

Referring to FIGS. 17A-17C, a dielectric material is deposited in the backside trenches 79 to form dielectric wall structures 76. Each of the dielectric wall structures 76 can laterally extend along the first horizontal direction hd1 and can vertically extend through each layer of an alternating stack of the insulating layers (132, 232) and the word-line-level electrically conductive layers (146, 246). Each dielectric wall structure 76 can contact sidewalls of the first and second insulating cap layers (170, 270).

Referring to FIGS. 18A and 18B, a second contact level dielectric layer 282 may be formed over the first contact level dielectric layer 280. The second contact level dielectric layer 282 includes a dielectric material such as silicon oxide, and can have a thickness in a range from 100 nm to 600 nm, although lesser and greater thicknesses can also be used.

A photoresist layer (not shown) can be applied over the second contact level dielectric layer 282, and can be lithographically patterned to form various contact via openings. For example, openings for forming drain contact via structures can be formed in the memory array region 100, and openings for forming staircase region contact via structures can be formed in the staircase region 200. An anisotropic etch process is performed to transfer the pattern in the photoresist layer through the second and first contact level dielectric layers (282, 280) and underlying dielectric material portions. The drain regions 63 and the electrically conductive layers (146, 246) can be used as etch stop structures. Drain contact via cavities can be formed over each drain region 63, and staircase-region contact via cavities can be formed over each electrically conductive layer (146. 246) at the stepped surfaces underlying the first and second retro-stepped dielectric material portions (165, 265). The photoresist layer can be subsequently removed, for example, by ashing.

Drain contact via structures 88 are formed in the drain contact via cavities and on a top surface of a respective one of the drain regions 63. Staircase-region contact via structures 86 are formed in the staircase-region contact via cavities and on a top surface of a respective one of the electrically conductive layers (146, 246). The staircase-region contact via structures 86 can include drain select level contact via structures that contact a subset of the second electrically conductive layers 246 that function as drain select level gate electrodes. Further, the staircase-region contact via structures 86 can include word line contact via structures that contact electrically conductive layers (146, 246) that underlie the drain select level gate electrodes and function as word lines for the memory stack structures 55.

Referring to FIG. 19, peripheral-region via cavities can be formed through the second and first contact level dielectric layers (282, 280), the second and first retro-stepped dielectric material portions (265, 165), and the at least one second dielectric layer 768 to top surfaces of the lower metal interconnect structure 780 in the peripheral device region 400. At least one conductive material can be deposited in the peripheral-region via cavities to form peripheral-region contact via structures 488.

At least one additional dielectric layer can be formed over the contact level dielectric layers (280, 282), and additional metal interconnect structures (herein referred to as upper-level metal interconnect structures) can be formed in the at least one additional dielectric layer. For example, the at least one additional dielectric layer can include a line-level dielectric layer 290 that is formed over the contact level dielectric layers (280, 282). The upper-level metal interconnect structures can include bit lines 98 contacting, or electrically connected to, a respective one of the drain contact via structures 88, and interconnection line structures 96 contacting, and/or electrically connected to, at least one of the staircase-region contact via structures 86, and the peripheral-region contact via structures 488.

At least one thermal anneal process is performed after formation of the source contact layer 114. The at least one thermal anneal process can be performed as a stand-alone anneal process, or can be a collateral anneal process that occurs during a thermal oxidation process or a thermal deposition process. For example, the at least one thermal anneal process can include the oxidation process that forms the dielectric semiconductor oxide plates 122 and the annular dielectric semiconductor oxide spacers 124. Additionally, the thermal anneal process can include a dopant activation anneal that is performed to activate the electrical dopants in the source contact layer 114 and any other electrical dopants such as the dopants in the lower source-level semiconductor layer 112, the dopants in the upper source-level semiconductor layer 116, and the dopants in the drain regions 63.

Referring to FIGS. 20A and 20B, a second exemplary structure according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure can be derived from the first exemplary structure of FIG. 2 by omitting formation of the first retro-stepped dielectric material portion 165 and the inter-tier dielectric layer 180, and by performing the processing steps of FIGS. 4A and 4B.

A patterned dielectric mask layer 171 can be formed over the first insulating cap layer 170 such that the patterned dielectric mask layer 171 covers the memory array region 100, and does not cover the staircase region 200. The staircase region 200 includes a first staircase region 200A in which stepped surfaces of a first-tier alternating stack (132, 142) are to be subsequently formed and a second staircase region 200B in which stepped surfaces of a second-tier alternating stack (232, 242) are to be subsequently formed. The patterned dielectric mask layer 171 includes a different material from the insulating cap layer 170. For example, the patterned dielectric mask layer 171 can include silicon nitride. The thickness of the patterned dielectric mask layer 171 can be in a range from 10 nm to 200 nm, although lesser and greater thicknesses can also be used.

A patterning film 177 can be applied over the patterned dielectric mask layer 171 in the staircase region 200 and over the first insulating cap layer 170 in the memory array region 100. The patterning film 177 can include a material that can assist patterning of underlying material layers by functioning as an etch mask. For example, the patterning film 177 can include a material based on amorphous carbon. In one embodiment, the patterning film 177 can include Advanced Patterning Film (APF) available from Applied Materials, Inc™. A first photoresist layer 178 can be applied over the patterning film 177, and can be lithographically patterned with the pattern of the first-tier memory openings 149 and the first-tier support openings 129 to be subsequently formed. For example, the pattern of the openings in the first photoresist layer 178 can be the same as the pattern of the first-tier memory openings 149 and the first-tier support openings 129 in the first embodiment (for example, as illustrated in FIG. 4B).

An anisotropic etch process is performed to transfer the pattern in the first photoresist layer 178 through the patterning film 177, and through the first insulating cap layer 170 and through an upper portion of the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142). The patterned dielectric mask layer 171 that is present in the staircase region 200 can reduce the depth of the openings formed in the staircase region 200 relative to the depth of the openings formed in the memory array region 100. The patterned dielectric mask layer 171 is etched through underneath each opening in the first photoresist layer 178 in the staircase region 200 during the anisotropic etch process, and the depths of the openings in the staircase region 200 and in the memory array region 100 increase throughout the anisotropic etch process.

First-tier memory openings 149 are formed through the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142) in the memory array region 100, and first-tier support openings 129 are formed through the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142) in the staircase region 200. In one embodiment, the anisotropic etch process is continued until the bottom surfaces of the support openings 129 reach a first horizontal plane HP1 located at a level of the source-select-level conductive layer 118 and the bottom surfaces of the first-tier memory openings 149 reach a second horizontal plane HP2 located at a level of the lower source-level semiconductor layer 112.

The patterned dielectric mask layer 171 can be used to differentiate the depth of the first-tier memory openings 149 and the depth of the first-tier support openings 129 during the anisotropic etch process. Specifically, the patterned dielectric mask layer 171 can add an additional material to etch through in the staircase region 200 relative to the memory array region 100 so that the anisotropic etch process forms the first-tier memory openings 149 with a greater depth than the first-tier support openings 129.

Referring to FIG. 21, the first photoresist layer 178 and the patterning film 177 can be subsequently removed, for example, by ashing. A sacrificial dielectric liner 127 can be formed by conformal deposition of a dielectric material layer. The sacrificial dielectric liner 127 can include a thin dielectric material such as silicon oxide. The thickness of the sacrificial dielectric liner 127 can be in a range from 3 nm to 10 nm, although lesser and greater thicknesses can also be used.

Referring to FIG. 22, sacrificial first-tier support opening fill structures 128 are formed in the first-tier support openings 129, and sacrificial first-tier memory opening fill structures 148 are formed in the first-tier memory openings 149 by performing the processing steps of FIG. 5. The sacrificial first-tier support opening fill structures 128 and the sacrificial first-tier memory opening fill structures 148 can include a sacrificial fill material, which may be a semiconductor material such as amorphous silicon. The sacrificial first-tier support opening fill structures 128 and the sacrificial first-tier memory opening fill structures 148 include the same material. In one embodiment, top surfaces of the sacrificial first-tier support opening fill structures 128 may be recessed relative to the top surface of the patterned dielectric mask layer 171. In this case, top surfaces of the sacrificial first-tier memory opening fill structures 148 can be recessed relative to the top surface of the first-tier insulating cap layer 170. Portions of the sacrificial dielectric liner 127 that overlie the first insulating cap layer 170 can be removed during recessing of the sacrificial fill material.

Referring to FIG. 23, a cover silicon nitride layer 173 can be deposited over the top surface of the patterned dielectric mask layer 171 and the top surfaces of the sacrificial first-tier support opening fill structures 128 and the sacrificial first-tier memory opening fill structures 148. The thickness of the cover silicon nitride layer 173 can be in a range from 5 nm to 30 nm, although lesser and greater thicknesses can also be used.

Referring to FIG. 24, a second photoresist layer 297 is applied over the cover silicon nitride layer 173, and is lithographically patterned to cover the memory array region 100, the peripheral device region 400, and the second staircase region 200B in which stepped surfaces of a second-tier alternating stack are to be subsequently formed, while not covering the first staircase region 200A in which stepped surfaces of the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142) are to be subsequently formed. In other words, each opening in the second photoresist layer 297 can be present only in a respective first staircase region 200A.

Referring to FIG. 25, each unmasked portion of the cover silicon nitride layer 173 can be etched outside the areas covered by the second photoresist layer 297. An isotropic etch process or an anisotropic etch process may be used. The duration of the isotropic or anisotropic etch process can be selected such that the patterned dielectric mask layer 171 remains outside the areas of the sacrificial first-tier support opening fill structures 128. Top surfaces of the sacrificial first-tier support opening fill structures 128 in the first staircase region 200A are physically exposed, while the sacrificial first-tier support opening fill structures 128 in the second staircase region 200B are covered by the cover silicon nitride layer 173.

Referring to FIG. 26, the second photoresist layer 297 can be removed, for example, by ashing.

Referring to FIG. 27, the sacrificial first-tier support opening fill structures 128 within the first staircase region 200A can be removed by an etch process that etches the sacrificial fill material of the sacrificial first-tier support opening fill structures 128 selective to the materials of the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142) and the source-select-level conductive layer 118. For example, if the source-select-level conductive layer 118 include heavily doped silicon and if the sacrificial first-tier support opening fill structures 128 include amorphous undoped silicon, undoped polysilicon, or a silicon-germanium alloy, a wet etch process using hot trimethyl-2 hydroxyethyl ammonium hydroxide (“hot TMY”) or tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide (TMAH) may be used to remove the sacrificial first-tier support opening fill structures 128. Volumes of a first subset of the first-tier support openings 129 become empty within the first staircase region 200A, while volumes of a second subset of the first-tier support openings 129 within the second staircase region 200B are filled with a remaining subset of the sacrificial first-tier support opening fill structures 128. Portions of the sacrificial dielectric liners 127 can be removed from the first subset of the first-tier support openings 129.

Referring to FIG. 28, a dielectric fill material, such as undoped silicate glass or a doped silicate glass, can be deposited in the empty volumes of the first-tier support openings 129 within the first staircase region 200A and over the cover silicon nitride layer 173 to form a continuous dielectric fill material layer 322L.

Referring to FIG. 29, the dielectric fill material is etched back, for example, by a recess etch. Each remaining portion of the dielectric fill material in the first-tier support openings 129 constitutes an in-process dielectric support pillar structure 322′. A first subset of the sacrificial first-tier support opening fill structures 128 is replaced with the in-process dielectric support pillar structures 322′. The in-process dielectric support pillar structures 322′ are dielectric support pillar structure that are subsequently used as support pillar structures during replacement of the first sacrificial material layers 142 with first electrically conductive layers. The in-process dielectric support pillar structures 322′ are in-process structures, i.e., a structure that is modified during a subsequent processing step. The in-process dielectric support pillar structures 322′ are formed through the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142) in the first staircase region 200A. Each first-tier dielectric support pillar structure 322′ can have a top surface above the horizontal plane including the bottom surface of the first insulating cap layer 170.

Referring to FIG. 30, the cover silicon nitride layer 173 and the patterned dielectric mask layer 171 can be removed from above the first insulating cap layer 170, for example, by a wet etch process using hot phosphoric acid.

Referring to FIG. 31, the processing steps of FIG. 6 can be performed without patterning the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242). In other words, processing steps for forming stepped surfaces on the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242) are omitted, and processing steps for forming a second retro-stepped dielectric material portion 265 are omitted. Instead, each layer within the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242) and the second insulating cap layer 270 are formed as unpatterned blanket layers.

Referring to FIG. 32, stepped surfaces are formed in the staircase region 200 by applying a trimmable etch mask layer over the over the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242), forming an opening within a portion of the staircase region 200 that is distal from the memory array region 100, and iteratively repeating an anisotropic etch process that etches at least one pair of an insulating layer (132, 232) and a spacer material layer (such as one of the sacrificial material layers (142, 242)) within the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142) and the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242) and a trimming process that trims a lateral extent of the trimmable etch mask layer. The trimmable etch mask layer includes a material that can be isotropically etched at a controlled etch rate. The trimmable etch mask layer can include a carbon-based material with an additive that reduces the trimming rate to provide an isotropic controlled trimming process. The iterative repetition of the anisotropic etch process and the trimming process iteratively etches pairs of a sacrificial material layer (242, 142) and an insulating layer (232, 132) and expands the lateral extent of the opening in the trimmable mask layer. The second-tier alternating stack (232, 242) and the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142) are patterned to form first stepped surfaces on the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142) and second stepped surfaces on the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242).

The in-process dielectric support pillar structures 322′ are collaterally recessed vertically during etching of the first insulating layers 132 and the first sacrificial material layers 142. Specifically, the in-process dielectric support pillar structures 322′ are partially etched during a subset of the anisotropic etch processes that is performed after the in-process dielectric support pillar structures 322′ are physically exposed. The in-process dielectric support pillar structures 322′ are vertically recessed by different etch distances. Remaining portions of the in-process dielectric support pillar structures 322′ form dielectric support pillar structures 322 comprising at least one dielectric material. The dielectric support pillar structures 322 extend through the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142) and have different heights.

In one embodiment, the dielectric support pillar structures 322 can have a variable height that decreases with a lateral distance from the memory array region 100. In one embodiment, each dielectric support pillar structure 322 can have a lesser height than top surfaces of the sacrificial first-tier memory opening fill structures 128. In one embodiment, each dielectric support pillar structure 322 can be located below a horizontal plane including a bottom surface of the first insulating cap layer 170 and a top surface of a topmost layer of the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142).

Referring to FIG. 33, a retro-stepped dielectric material portion 65 can be formed by depositing a dielectric material over the stepped surfaces. The stepped surfaces of the retro-stepped dielectric material portion 65 can continuously extend from a bottommost layer of the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142) to a topmost layer of the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242). The retro-stepped dielectric material portion 65 includes a planarizable dielectric material such as a silicate glass. The material of the retro-stepped dielectric material portion 65 may be the same as, or may be different from, the material of the dielectric support pillar structures 322. In one embodiment, the dielectric support pillar structures 322 can include undoped silicate glass, and the retro-stepped dielectric material portion 65 can include a doped silicate glass or undoped silicate glass. The retro-stepped dielectric material portion 65 can have a homogeneous composition throughout. The retro-stepped dielectric material portion 65 is formed over the first stepped surfaces on the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142) and the second stepped surfaces on the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242). The retro-stepped dielectric material portion 65 contacts the dielectric support pillar structures 322.

Referring to FIG. 34, the processing steps of FIGS. 7A and 7B can be performed to form second-tier memory openings 249 over the sacrificial first-tier memory opening fill structures 148 and to form second-tier support openings 229 over the sacrificial first-tier support opening fill structures 128. The pattern of the second-tier support openings 229 can be modified from the pattern of the second-tier support openings 229 at the processing steps of FIGS. 7A and 7B such that the second-tier support openings 229 are formed only in the second staircase region 200B and are not formed in the first staircase region 200A.

Referring to FIG. 35, the processing steps of FIGS. 8 and 9A-9D can be performed. The sacrificial first-tier support opening fill structures 128 can be removed underneath the second-tier support openings 229 in the second staircase region 200B to form support openings, which are also referred to as inter-tier support openings. The inter-tier support openings can extend through the retro-stepped dielectric material portion 65, a region of the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242) that underlie the second stepped surfaces, and the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142). The sacrificial first-tier memory opening fill structures 148 can be removed underneath the second-tier memory openings 249 in the memory array region 100 to form memory openings, which are also referred to as inter-tier memory openings. Portions of the sacrificial dielectric liners 127 can be removed from the second subset of the first-tier support openings 129 and from the first-tier memory openings 149.

Memory opening fill structures 58 and support pillar structures 20 can be formed as in the first embodiment. Each support pillar structure 20 can include a memory film 50, a vertical semiconductor channel 60 (which is a dummy vertical semiconductor channel that is not electrically active) an optional dielectric core 62, and a drain region 63 (which is a dummy drain region that is not electrically active). The support pillar structures 20 include multiple material portions having different compositions, and are herein referred to as composite support pillar structures.

Memory opening fill structures 58 are formed in the inter-tier memory openings 49 and the support pillar structures 20 (i.e., the composite support pillar structures) are formed in the inter-tier support openings 19 simultaneously. Each of the memory opening fill structures 58 comprises a respective one of the memory stack structures 58. The memory stack structures 55 vertically extend through each layer of the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142) and the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242) in a memory array region 100. The support pillar structures 20 are formed through the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142) and the second stepped surfaces. Each of the support pillar structures 20 comprises a respective semiconductor material portion, i.e., a vertical semiconductor channel 60 that is not electrically active.

Referring to FIG. 36, subsequent processing steps of the first embodiment can be performed. Remaining portions of the first spacer material layers (such as the first sacrificial material layers 142) and the second spacer material layers (such as the second sacrificial material layer 242) are replaced with first electrically conductive layers 146 and second electrically conductive layers 246. The combination of the support pillar structures 20 and the dielectric support pillar structures 322 provide structural support during replacement of the sacrificial material layers (142, 242) with electrically conductive layers (146, 246). Staircase-region contact via structures 86 can be subsequently formed on a respective one of the electrically conductive layers (146, 246). Word line contact via structures 86 can be formed on a top surface of a respective one of the first electrically conductive layers 146 and the second electrically conductive layers 246.

Referring to FIGS. 1A-36 and according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, a three-dimensional semiconductor device is provided, which comprises: a first-tier alternating stack (132, 146) of first insulating layers 142 and first electrically conductive layers 146 located over a substrate 8; a second-tier alternating stack (232, 246) of second insulating layers 232 and second electrically conductive layers 246 located over the first-tier alternating stack (132, 146); a memory array region 100 including memory stack structures 55 that vertically extend through each layer of the first-tier alternating stack (132, 146) and the second-tier alternating stack (232, 246); a staircase region 200 including first stepped surfaces of the first-tier alternating stack (132, 146) and second stepped surfaces of the second-tier alternating stack (232, 246); dielectric support pillar structures 322 consisting essentially of at least one dielectric material and extending through the first-tier alternating stack (132, 146) and not extending through any layer of the second-tier alternating stack (232, 246); and composite support pillar structures 20 comprising a semiconductor material portion (such as a vertical semiconductor channel 60) and extending through all layers of the first-tier alternating stack (132, 146) and through the second stepped surfaces.

As used herein, dielectric support pillar structures 322 consisting essentially of at least one dielectric material means that the dielectric support pillar structures 322 have less than 5 volume percent of a semiconductor phase, such as 0 to 0.5 volume percent of a semiconductor phase, an contain 95 to 100 volume percent of a dielectric material. It should be noted that silicon atoms in silicon oxide or silicon nitride dielectric material do not constitute a separate semiconductor phase.

A retro-stepped dielectric material portion 65 can overlie, and contact, the first stepped surfaces and the second stepped surfaces. The composite support pillar structures 20 extend through the retro-stepped dielectric material portion 65.

In one embodiment, each of the composite support pillar structures 20 has a top surface within a same horizontal plane that overlies a topmost layer of the second-tier alternating stack (232, 246). For example, the top surfaces of the composite support pillar structures 20 can be within a same horizontal plane as the top surface of the retro-stepped dielectric material portion 65 and the top surface of the second insulating cap layer 270 that overlies the second-tier alternating stack (232, 246).

In one embodiment, the dielectric support pillar structures 322 have different heights that decrease with a lateral distance from the memory array region 100. In one embodiment, each of the dielectric support pillar structures 322 protrudes above the first stepped surfaces and includes a respective upper portion that is laterally surrounded by the retro-stepped dielectric material portion 65.

In one embodiment, the three-dimensional semiconductor device comprises first word line contact via structures 86 extending through the retro-stepped dielectric material portion 65 and contacting a respective one of the first electrically conductive layers 146, and second word line contact via structures 86 extending through the retro-stepped dielectric material portion 65 and contacting a respective one of the second electrically conductive layers 246.

In one embodiment, the retro-stepped dielectric material portion 65 continuously extends from a surface of a bottommost insulating layer (i.e., the bottommost one of the first insulating layers 132) within the first-tier alternating stack (132, 146) to a surface of a topmost insulating layer (i.e., a topmost one of the second insulating layers 232) within the second-tier alternating stack (232, 246), has a homogeneous composition throughout, has a top surface located at, or overlies, a topmost surface of the second-tier alternating stack (232, 246), overlies the dielectric support pillar structures 322, and laterally surrounds the composite support pillar structures 20.

In one embodiment, bottom surfaces of the dielectric support pillar structures 322 and bottom surfaces of the composite support pillar structures 20 are located within a first horizontal plane HP1. In one embodiment, bottom portions of the memory stack structures 58 contact a source contact layer 114 that underlie the first horizontal plane HP1.

In one embodiment, each of the memory stack structures 55 comprises a respective memory film 50 and a respective vertical semiconductor channel 60. In one embodiment, each of the memory films 50 comprises a layer stack including a charge storage layer 54 and a tunneling dielectric 56, and each of the composite support pillar structures 20 comprises a layer stack including a first dielectric material layer having a same composition and a same thickness as the charge storage layer 54 and a second dielectric material layer having a same composition and a same thickness as the tunneling dielectric 56. In one embodiment, the semiconductor material portion of each of the composite support pillar structure 20 comprises a semiconductor material having a same material composition as the vertical semiconductor channels 60.

In one embodiment, the three-dimensional semiconductor device comprises an insulating cap layer (such as the first insulating cap layer 170) located between the first-tier alternating stack (132, 146) and the second-tier alternating stack (232, 246). The first-tier memory openings 149 and the first-tier support openings 129 can have straight tapered sidewalls. Alternatively, the sidewalls of the first insulating cap layer 170 can be laterally recessed selective to the materials of the first insulating layers 132 and the first sacrificial material layers 142 around each first-tier memory opening 149 and around each first-tier support opening 129 after the processing steps of FIG. 21. For example, the first insulating cap layer 170 can include a doped silicate glass (such as borosilicate glass) and the first insulating layers 132 can include undoped silicate glass, and an isotropic etch process using dilute hydrofluoric acid can be performed to laterally expand the portions of the first-tier memory openings 149 and the first sacrificial openings 129 at the level of the first insulating cap layer 170. In this case, each of the memory stack structures 55 and the composite support pillar structures 322 has a greater lateral extent at a level of the insulating cap layer (such as the first insulating cap layer 170) than at a level of a topmost layer within the first-tier alternating stack (132, 146), and than at a level of a bottommost layer within the second-tier alternating stack (232, 246).

Referring to FIGS. 20A-36 and according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, a three-dimensional semiconductor device is provided, which comprises: a first-tier alternating stack (132, 146) of first insulating layers 142 and first electrically conductive layers 146 located over a substrate 8; a second-tier alternating stack (232, 246) of second insulating layers 232 and second electrically conductive layers 246 located over the first-tier alternating stack (132, 146); a memory array region 100 including memory stack structures 55 that vertically extend through each layer of the first-tier alternating stack (132, 146) and the second-tier alternating stack (232, 246); a staircase region 200 including first stepped surfaces of the first-tier alternating stack (132, 146) and second stepped surfaces of the second-tier alternating stack (232, 246); and first-tier dielectric support pillar structures 322 extending through portions of the first-tier alternating stack (132, 146) underlying the stepped surfaces, wherein a height of each of the dielectric support pillar structures 322 decreases with a lateral distance from the memory array region.

Referring to FIG. 37, a third exemplary structure according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure may be the same as the first exemplary structure of FIG. 3. Generally, a first-tier alternating stack of first insulating layers 132 and first spacer material layers (such as first sacrificial material layers 142) is formed over a substrate 8 (illustrated in FIG. 1A). First stepped surfaces are formed by patterning the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142), and a first retro-stepped dielectric material portion 165 can be formed over the first stepped surfaces. The first retro-stepped dielectric material portion 165 is formed in a first staircase region 200A, which is a distal segment of the staircase region 200. A second staircase region 200, in which stepped surfaces of a second-tier alternating stack are to be subsequently formed, is provided between the first staircase region 200A and the memory array region 100. The inter-tier dielectric layer 180 of the first exemplary structure may, or may not, be present in the third exemplary structure of FIG. 37.

Referring to FIG. 38, the processing steps of FIGS. 20A and 20B, 21, and 22 can be performed to form first-tier memory openings 149 and first-tier support openings 129, and to form sacrificial first-tier memory opening fill structures 148 in the first-tier memory openings 149 and to form sacrificial first-tier support opening fill structures 128 in the first-tier support openings 129. In one embodiment, the anisotropic etch process can be continued until the bottom surfaces of the support openings 129 reach a first horizontal plane HP1 located at a level of the source-select-level conductive layer 118 and the bottom surfaces of the first-tier memory openings 149 reach a second horizontal plane HP2 located at a level of the lower source-level semiconductor layer 112. A sacrificial dielectric liner 127 can be located at a periphery and at a bottom of each first-tier memory opening 149 and each first-tier support opening 129, and can laterally surround a respective one of the sacrificial first-tier memory opening fill structures 148 and the sacrificial first-tier support opening fill structures 128.

A first subset of the sacrificial first-tier support opening fill structures 128 is formed through the first retro-stepped dielectric material portion 165 and the first stepped surfaces of the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142) in the first staircase region 200A, and a second subset of the sacrificial first-tier support opening fill structures 128 is formed through the first-tier alternating stack (132, 232) in the second staircase region 200B. The second subset of the sacrificial first-tier support opening fill structures 128 is formed through the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142) without extending through the first retro-stepped dielectric material portion 165, and is laterally spaced from the first retro-stepped dielectric material portion 165.

Referring to FIG. 39, the processing steps of FIG. 6 can be performed to form a second-tier alternating stack of second insulating layers 232 and second sacrificial material layers 242, to form a second insulating cap layer over the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242), to pattern stepped surfaces in the second staircase region 200B, and to form a second retro-stepped dielectric material portion 265.

Referring to FIG. 40, a dielectric mask layer 271 can be optionally formed over the second insulating cap layer 270 and the second retro-stepped dielectric material portion 265. The dielectric mask layer 271 can include silicon nitride. The thickness of the dielectric mask layer 271 can be in a range from 10 nm to 200 nm, although lesser and greater thicknesses can also be used. The processing steps of FIGS. 7A and 7B can be performed to form second-tier memory openings 249 and second-tier support openings 229. The steps of the anisotropic etch process used to form the second-tier memory openings 249 and second-tier support openings 229 may be modified to etch through the dielectric mask layer 271 in case the dielectric mask layer 271 is present. Each second-tier memory opening 249 is formed over a respective one of the sacrificial first-tier memory opening fill structures 148, and each second-tier support opening 229 is formed over a respective one of the sacrificial first-tier support opening fill structures 128.

Referring to FIG. 41, a sacrificial fill material can be deposited in the second-tier memory openings 249 and the second-tier support openings 229. The sacrificial fill material may be the same as the sacrificial fill material of the sacrificial first-tier memory opening fill structures 148 and the sacrificial first-tier support opening fill structures 128. For example, the sacrificial fill material can include amorphous silicon, polysilicon, or a silicon-germanium alloy. Excess portions of the sacrificial fill material can be removed from above the dielectric mask layer 271. Remaining portions of the sacrificial fill material in the second-tier memory openings 249 constitute sacrificial second-tier memory opening fill structures 248, and remaining portions of the sacrificial fill material in the second-tier support openings 229 constitute sacrificial second-tier support opening fill structures 228.

Referring to FIG. 42, a cover silicon nitride layer 273 can be deposited over the top surface of the dielectric mask layer 271 and the top surfaces of the sacrificial second-tier support opening fill structures 228 and the sacrificial second-tier memory opening fill structures 248. The thickness of the cover silicon nitride layer 273 can be in a range from 5 nm to 30 nm, although lesser and greater thicknesses can also be used.

Referring to FIG. 43, a second photoresist layer 397 is applied over the cover silicon nitride layer 273, and is lithographically patterned to cover the memory array region 100 and the peripheral device region 400 while not covering the staircase region 200.

Referring to FIG. 44, portions of the cover silicon nitride layer 273 in the staircase region 200 that are not covered by the second photoresist layer 397 can be removed by an etch process. An isotropic etch process or an anisotropic etch process may be used to etch the unmasked portions of the cover silicon nitride layer 273. The duration of the isotropic or anisotropic etch process can be selected such that the dielectric mask layer 271 remains outside the areas of the sacrificial second-tier support opening fill structures 228. Top surfaces of the sacrificial second-tier support opening fill structures 228 in the staircase region 200 are physically exposed, while the sacrificial second-tier memory opening fill structures 248 in the memory array region 100 are covered by the cover silicon nitride layer 273.

Referring to FIG. 45, the second photoresist layer 397 can be removed, for example, by ashing.

Referring to FIG. 46, the sacrificial second-tier support opening fill structures 228 and the sacrificial first-tier support opening fill structures 128 in the staircase region 200 can be removed to form support openings 19, which are also referred to as inter-tier support openings 19. A first subset of the inter-tier support openings 19 located in the first staircase region 200A can extend through the second retro-stepped dielectric material portion 265, the first retro-stepped dielectric material portion 165, and a region of the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142) that underlie first stepped surfaces of the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142). A second subset of the inter-tier support openings 19 located in the second staircase region 200B can extend through the second retro-stepped dielectric material portion 265, a region of the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242) that underlies second stepped surfaces of the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242), and the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142).

Removal of the sacrificial second-tier support opening fill structures 228 and the sacrificial first-tier support opening fill structures 128 can be accomplished by an etch process. The chemistry of the etch process can be selected such that the etch process etches the sacrificial fill materials of the sacrificial second-tier support opening fill structures 228 and the sacrificial first-tier support opening fill structures 128 selective to the materials of the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242), the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142), the first and second retro-stepped dielectric material portions (165, 265), and the source-select-level conductive layer 118. In embodiments in which sacrificial dielectric liners 127 are present in the first-tier support openings 129, the etch process can remove the sacrificial fill materials of the sacrificial second-tier support opening fill structures 228 and the sacrificial first-tier support opening fill structures 128 selective to the materials of the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242), the first and second retro-stepped dielectric material portions (165, 265) and the sacrificial dielectric liners 127. For example, if the sacrificial dielectric liners 127 include silicon oxide and if the sacrificial first-tier support opening fill structures 128 and the sacrificial second-tier support opening fill structures 228 include amorphous undoped silicon, undoped polysilicon, or a silicon-germanium alloy, a wet etch process using hot trimethyl-2 hydroxyethyl ammonium hydroxide (“hot TMY”) or tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide (TMAH) may be used to remove the sacrificial first-tier support opening fill structures 128.

Volumes of the second-tier support openings 229 and the volumes of the first-tier support openings 129 combine to provide the inter-tier support openings 19. The inter-tier support openings 19 can vertically extend at least from a horizontal plane including a topmost surface of the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242) at least to another horizontal plane including a bottommost surface of the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142). Each of the inter-tier support openings 19 can have a greater lateral extent at a level of a topmost layer of the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142) than at a level of a bottommost layer of the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242), for example, by finite taper angles of straight sidewalls of the first-tier support openings 129 and second-tier support openings 229.

Referring to FIG. 47, a dielectric fill material, such as a silicate glass, can be deposited in the empty volumes of the inter-tier support openings 19 to form a continuous dielectric fill material layer 222L. Deposition of the dielectric fill material may be conformal or may be at least partly non-conformal. In one embodiment, voids 217 may be formed within the continuous dielectric fill material layer 222L in the volumes of the inter-tier support openings 19.

Referring to FIG. 48, the dielectric fill material is etched back, for example by a recess etch. Each remaining portion of the dielectric fill material in the support openings 19 constitutes a dielectric support pillar structure 222. The dielectric support pillar structures 222 are used as support pillar structures during replacement of the sacrificial material layers (142, 242) with electrically conductive layers in subsequent processing steps. A first subset of the dielectric support pillar structures 222 is formed in the first staircase region 200A, and a second subset of the dielectric support pillar structures 222 is formed in the second staircase region 200B. Each dielectric support pillar structure 222 can have a top surface above the horizontal plane including the bottom surface of the second insulating cap layer 270. Each dielectric support pillar structure 222 may contain no void, one void 217, or two voids 217. The dielectric support pillar structures 222 can be formed in the inter-tier support openings 19 and directly on sidewalls of the second retro-stepped dielectric material portion 265.

Referring to FIG. 49, the cover silicon nitride layer 273 and the dielectric mask layer 271 can be removed from above the second insulating cap layer 270, for example, by a wet etch process using hot phosphoric acid.

Referring to FIG. 50, the sacrificial second-tier memory opening fill structures 248 and the sacrificial first-tier memory opening fill structures 148 in the memory array region 100 can be removed to form memory openings 49, which are also referred to as inter-tier memory openings 49. The inter-tier memory openings 49 extend through the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242) and the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142), and can extend into the source-level sacrificial layer 104.

Removal of the sacrificial second-tier memory opening fill structures 248 and the sacrificial first-tier memory opening fill structures 148 can be accomplished by an etch process. The chemistry of the etch process can be selected such that the etch process etches the sacrificial fill materials of the sacrificial second-tier memory opening fill structures 248 and the sacrificial first-tier memory opening fill structures 148 selective to the materials of the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242), the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142), the second retro-stepped dielectric material portion 265, the dielectric support pillar structures 222, and the source-select-level conductive layer 118. In embodiments in which sacrificial dielectric liners 127 are present in the first-tier memory openings 149, the etch process can remove the sacrificial fill materials of the sacrificial second-tier memory opening fill structures 248 and the sacrificial first-tier memory opening fill structures 148 selective to the materials of the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242), the first and second retro-stepped dielectric material portions (165, 265) and the sacrificial dielectric liners 127. For example, if the sacrificial dielectric liners 127 include silicon oxide and if the sacrificial first-tier memory opening fill structures 148 and the sacrificial second-tier memory opening fill structures 248 include amorphous undoped silicon, undoped polysilicon, or a silicon-germanium alloy, a wet etch process using hot TMY or TMAH may be used to remove the sacrificial first-tier memory opening fill structures 148.

Volumes of the second-tier memory openings 249 and the volumes of the first-tier memory openings 149 combine to provide the inter-tier memory openings 49. The inter-tier memory openings 49 can vertically extend at least from a horizontal plane including a topmost surface of the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242) at least to another horizontal plane including a bottommost surface of the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142). Each of the inter-tier memory openings 49 can have a greater lateral extent at a level of a topmost layer of the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142) than at a level of a bottommost layer of the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242), for example, by finite taper angles of straight sidewalls of the first-tier memory openings 149 and second-tier memory openings 249.

Referring to FIG. 51, the sacrificial dielectric liners 127, if present, are removed selective to the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142), the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242), the first and second insulating cap layers (170, 270), the dielectric support pillar structures 222, and the various materials of the in-process source-level material layer 10′.

Subsequently, the processing steps of FIGS. 9A-9D and 10 can be performed to form memory opening fill structures 58 in each of the inter-tier memory openings 58. The processing steps of FIGS. 11A, 11B, 12, 13A-13E, and 14 can be performed to form a second contact level dielectric layer 282 and backside trenches 79, and to replace the in-process source-level material layers 10′ with source-level material layers 10. The processing steps of FIGS. 15 and 16 can be performed to replace the first and second sacrificial material layers (142, 242) with first and second electrically conductive layers (146, 246). The processing steps of FIGS. 17A-17C, 18A an 18B, and 19 can be performed to form dielectric wall structures 76, a second contact level dielectric layer 282, various contact via structures (86, 88, 488), a line-level dielectric layer 290, bit lines 98, and interconnection line structures 96.

Referring to FIG. 52, a fourth exemplary structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can be derived from the first exemplary structure of FIG. 2. In one embodiment, the fourth exemplary structure of FIG. 52 can be the same as the first exemplary structure of FIG. 2.

Referring to FIG. 53, the processing steps of FIGS. 20A and 20B, 21, and 22 can be performed to form sacrificial first-tier support opening fill structures 128 through the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142) in the staircase region 200, and to form sacrificial first-tier memory opening fill structures 148 through the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142) in the memory array region 100. In one embodiment, the fourth exemplary structure illustrated in FIG. 53 can be the same as the second exemplary structure illustrated in FIG. 22. Alternatively, the fourth exemplary structure illustrated in FIG. 53 can be derived from the third exemplary structure of FIG. 38 by omitting formation of the first retro-stepped dielectric material portion 165.

Referring to FIG. 54, a second-tier alternating stack (232, 242) of second insulating layer 132 and second sacrificial material layers 142 is formed over the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142). For example, the processing steps of FIG. 6 for forming a second-tier alternating stack (232, 242) can be performed to form the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242) of the fourth exemplary structure. A second insulating cap layer 170 can be formed over the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242). A first dielectric mask layer 271 can be optionally formed over the second insulating cap layer 270. The first dielectric mask layer 271 can include silicon nitride. The thickness of the first dielectric mask layer 271 can be in a range from 10 nm to 200 nm, although lesser and greater thicknesses can also be used.

Various second-tier openings (249, 229) can be formed through the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242). For example, the processing steps of FIGS. 7A and 7B can be performed to form the second-tier openings (249, 229). The various second-tier openings (249, 229) can include second-tier memory openings 249 and second-tier support openings 229.

The second-tier memory openings 249 are formed directly on a top surface of a respective one of the sacrificial first-tier memory opening fill structures 148. The second-tier support openings 229 are formed directly on a top surface of a respective one of the sacrificial first-tier support opening fill structures 128. Each of the second-tier openings (249, 229) can vertically extend through each layer within the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242). A bottom periphery of each second-tier opening (249, 229) may be laterally offset from, and/or may be located entirely within, a periphery of a top surface of an underlying sacrificial first-tier opening fill structure (148, 128).

Referring to FIG. 55, a sacrificial fill material can be deposited in the second-tier memory openings 249 and the second-tier support openings 229. The sacrificial fill material may be the same as the sacrificial fill material of the sacrificial first-tier memory opening fill structures 148 and the sacrificial first-tier support opening fill structures 128. For example, the sacrificial fill material can include amorphous silicon, polysilicon, or a silicon-germanium alloy. Excess portions of the sacrificial fill material can be removed from above the first dielectric mask layer 271. Remaining portions of the sacrificial fill material in the second-tier memory openings 249 constitute sacrificial second-tier memory opening fill structures 248, and remaining portions of the sacrificial fill material in the second-tier support openings 229 constitute sacrificial second-tier support opening fill structures 228.

Referring to FIG. 56, a cover silicon nitride layer 273 can be deposited over the top surface of the first dielectric mask layer 271 and the top surfaces of the sacrificial second-tier support opening fill structures 228 and the sacrificial second-tier memory opening fill structures 248. The thickness of the cover silicon nitride layer 273 can be in a range from 5 nm to 30 nm, although lesser and greater thicknesses can also be used.

Referring to FIG. 57, a second photoresist layer 397 is applied over the cover silicon nitride layer 273, and is lithographically patterned to cover the memory array region 100 and the peripheral device region 400 while not covering the staircase region 200.

Referring to FIG. 58, portions of the cover silicon nitride layer 273 in the staircase region 200 that are not covered by the second photoresist layer 397 can be removed by an etch process. An isotropic etch process or an anisotropic etch process may be used to etch the unmasked portions of the cover silicon nitride layer 273. The duration of the isotropic or anisotropic etch process can be selected such that the first dielectric mask layer 271 remains outside the areas of the sacrificial second-tier support opening fill structures 228. Top surfaces of the sacrificial second-tier support opening fill structures 228 in the staircase region 200 are physically exposed, while the sacrificial second-tier memory opening fill structures 248 in the memory array region 100 are covered by the cover silicon nitride layer 273.

Referring to FIG. 59, the second photoresist layer 397 can be removed, for example, by ashing.

Referring to FIG. 60, the sacrificial second-tier support opening fill structures 228 and the sacrificial first-tier support opening fill structures 128 in the staircase region 200 can be removed to form support openings 19, which are also referred to as inter-tier support openings 19. Each inter-tier support openings 19 extends through, and is laterally bounded by sidewalls of, each layer within the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242) and each layer within the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142).

Removal of the sacrificial second-tier support opening fill structures 228 and the sacrificial first-tier support opening fill structures 128 can be accomplished by an etch process. The chemistry of the etch process can be selected such that the etch process etches the sacrificial fill materials of the sacrificial second-tier support opening fill structures 228 and the sacrificial first-tier support opening fill structures 128 selective to the materials of the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242), the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142), and the source-select-level conductive layer 118. In embodiments in which sacrificial dielectric liners 127 are present in the first-tier support openings 129, the etch process can remove the sacrificial fill materials of the sacrificial second-tier support opening fill structures 228 and the sacrificial first-tier support opening fill structures 128 selective to the materials of the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242), the first and second retro-stepped dielectric material portions (165, 265) and the sacrificial dielectric liners 127. For example, if the sacrificial dielectric liners 127 include silicon oxide and if the sacrificial first-tier support opening fill structures 128 and the sacrificial second-tier support opening fill structures 228 include amorphous undoped silicon, undoped polysilicon, or a silicon-germanium alloy, a wet etch process using hot TMY or TMAH may be used to remove the sacrificial first-tier support opening fill structures 128.

Volumes of the second-tier support openings 229 and the volumes of the first-tier support openings 129 combine to provide the inter-tier support openings 19. The inter-tier support openings 19 can vertically extend at least from a horizontal plane including a topmost surface of the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242) at least to another horizontal plane including a bottommost surface of the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142). Each of the inter-tier support openings 19 can have a greater lateral extent at a level of a topmost layer of the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142) than at a level of a bottommost layer of the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242), for example, by finite taper angles of straight sidewalls of the first-tier support openings 129 and second-tier support openings 229.

Referring to FIG. 61, a dielectric fill material, such as a silicate glass, can be deposited in the empty volumes of the inter-tier support openings 19 to form a continuous dielectric fill material layer 422L. Deposition of the dielectric fill material may be conformal or may be at least partly non-conformal. In one embodiment, voids 417 may be formed within the continuous dielectric fill material layer 422L in the volumes of the inter-tier support openings 19.

Referring to FIG. 62, the dielectric fill material is etched back, for example, by a recess etch. Each remaining portion of the dielectric fill material in the support openings 19 constitutes a dielectric support pillar structure 422. The dielectric support pillar structures 422 are used as support pillar structures during replacement of the sacrificial material layers (142, 242) with electrically conductive layers in subsequent processing steps. Each dielectric support pillar structure 422 extends through, and is laterally contacted by, each layer within the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142) and each layer with the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242). Each dielectric support pillar structure 422 can have a top surface above the horizontal plane including the bottom surface of the second insulating cap layer 270. Each dielectric support pillar structure 422 may contain no void, one void 217, or two voids 217.

Referring to FIG. 63, a second dielectric mask layer 275 can be deposited over the top surface of the first dielectric mask layer 271, the cover silicon nitride layer 273, and the top surfaces of the dielectric support pillar structures 422. The thickness of the second dielectric mask layer 275 can be in a range from 5 nm to 30 nm, although lesser and greater thicknesses can also be used.

Referring to FIG. 64, a photoresist layer (not shown) can be applied over the second dielectric mask layer 275, and lithographically patterned to form an opening in each staircase region 200. Unmasked portions of the second dielectric mask layer 275 and the first dielectric mask layer 271 are etched within the areas of the opening in the photoresist layer. Thus, the second dielectric mask layer 275 and the first dielectric mask layer 271 are removed from the staircase region 200. Top surfaces of the dielectric support pillar structures 422 can be physically exposed within the staircase region 200. Optionally, an isotropic etch process or an anisotropic etch process can be performed to remove physically exposed portions of the second insulating cap layer 270 within the staircase region 200. The photoresist layer can be subsequently removed, for example, by ashing.

Referring to FIG. 65, a trimmable etch mask layer (not shown) can be applied over the over the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242) and remaining portions of the second dielectric mask layer 275, the first dielectric mask layer 271, and the cover silicon nitride layer 273. An opening is formed within a distal portion of the trimmable etch mask layer located within a distal portion of the first staircase region 200A that is laterally spaced from the memory array region 100. An anisotropic etch process that etches at least one pair of an insulating layer (132, 232) and a spacer material layer (such as one of the sacrificial material layers (142, 242)) within the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142) and the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242) and a trimming process that trims a lateral extent of the trimmable etch mask layer can be iteratively repeated. The iterative repetition of the anisotropic etch process and the trimming process iteratively etches pairs of a sacrificial material layer (242, 142) and an insulating layer (232, 132) and expands the lateral extent of the opening in the trimmable mask layer. The second-tier alternating stack (232, 242) and the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142) are patterned to form first stepped surfaces on the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142) and second stepped surfaces on the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242).

The dielectric support pillar structures 422 are collaterally recessed vertically during etching of the first insulating layers 132 and the first sacrificial material layers 142. Specifically, the dielectric support pillar structures 422 can be partially etched during each of the anisotropic etch processes. The dielectric support pillar structures 422 are vertically recessed by different etch distances. Remaining portions of the dielectric support pillar structures 422 form dielectric support pillar structures 422 comprising at least one dielectric material. A first subset of the dielectric support pillar structures 422 extends only through a respective subset of layers within the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142) and does not extend through layers within the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242). A second subset of the dielectric support pillar structures 422 extends through all layers within the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142) and a respective subset of layers within the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242). The dielectric support pillar structures 422 can have different heights.

Generally, the dielectric support pillar structures 422 can be collaterally etched during formation of the first stepped surfaces of the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142) and the second stepped surfaces of the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242) to provide different heights that decrease with a lateral distance from the memory array region 100. The first stepped surfaces and the second stepped surfaces are formed after formation and collateral recessing of the dielectric support pillar structures 422.

In one embodiment, the dielectric support pillar structures 422 can have a variable height that decreases with a lateral distance from the memory array region 100. In one embodiment, each dielectric support pillar structure 422 can have a lesser height than top surfaces of the sacrificial first-tier memory opening fill structures 128. In one embodiment, each dielectric support pillar structure 422 can be located below a horizontal plane including a top surface of the second insulating cap layer 270. Top surfaces of the dielectric support pillar structures 422 may be coplanar with, protrude above, or be recessed below, a horizontal surface of stepped surfaces through which a support opening including the dielectric support pillar structure 422 extends.

Referring to FIG. 66, a retro-stepped dielectric material portion 65 can be formed by depositing a dielectric material over the stepped surfaces. The deposited dielectric material can be planarized using the top surface of the second dielectric mask layer 275 as a stopping surface. The top surface of the remaining dielectric material portion can be vertically recessed such that the recessed top surface of the dielectric material is at, or about, the height of the top surface of the second insulating cap layer 270. The remaining portion of the deposited dielectric material constitutes the retro-stepped dielectric material portion 65.

The stepped surfaces of the retro-stepped dielectric material portion 65 can continuously extend from a bottommost layer of the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142) to a topmost layer of the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242). The retro-stepped dielectric material portion 65 includes a planarizable dielectric material, such as a silicate glass. The material of the retro-stepped dielectric material portion 65 may be the same as, or may be different from, the material of the dielectric support pillar structures 422. In one embodiment, the dielectric support pillar structures 422 can include undoped silicate glass, and the retro-stepped dielectric material portion 65 can include a doped silicate glass or undoped silicate glass. The retro-stepped dielectric material portion 65 can have a homogeneous composition throughout. The retro-stepped dielectric material portion 65 is formed over the first stepped surfaces on the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142) and the second stepped surfaces on the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242). The retro-stepped dielectric material portion 65 contacts the dielectric support pillar structures 422.

Referring to FIG. 67, the remaining portions of the second dielectric mask layer 275, the cover silicon nitride layer 273, and the first dielectric mask layer 271 can be removed from above the second insulating cap layer 270, for example, by a wet etch process using hot phosphoric acid.

Referring to FIG. 68, the sacrificial second-tier memory opening fill structures 248 and the sacrificial first-tier memory opening fill structures 148 in the memory array region 100 can be removed to form memory openings 49, which are also referred to as inter-tier memory openings 49. The inter-tier memory openings 49 extend through the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242) and the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142), and can extend into the source-level sacrificial layer 104.

Removal of the sacrificial second-tier memory opening fill structures 248 and the sacrificial first-tier memory opening fill structures 148 can be accomplished by an etch process. The chemistry of the etch process can be selected such that the etch process etches the sacrificial fill materials of the sacrificial second-tier memory opening fill structures 248 and the sacrificial first-tier memory opening fill structures 148 selective to the materials of the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242), the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142), the second retro-stepped dielectric material portion 265, the dielectric support pillar structures 222, and the source-select-level conductive layer 118. In embodiments in which sacrificial dielectric liners 127 are present in the first-tier memory openings 149, the etch process can remove the sacrificial fill materials of the sacrificial second-tier memory opening fill structures 248 and the sacrificial first-tier memory opening fill structures 148 selective to the materials of the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242), the second retro-stepped dielectric material portion 265 and the sacrificial dielectric liners 127. For example, if the sacrificial dielectric liners 127 include silicon oxide and if the sacrificial first-tier memory opening fill structures 148 and the sacrificial second-tier memory opening fill structures 248 include amorphous undoped silicon, undoped polysilicon, or a silicon-germanium alloy, a wet etch process using hot TMY or TMAH may be used to remove the sacrificial first-tier memory opening fill structures 148.

Volumes of the second-tier memory openings 249 and the volumes of the first-tier memory openings 149 combine to provide the inter-tier memory openings 49. The inter-tier memory openings 49 can vertically extend at least from a horizontal plane including a topmost surface of the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242) at least to another horizontal plane including a bottommost surface of the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142). Each of the inter-tier memory openings 49 can have a greater lateral extent at a level of a topmost layer of the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142) than at a level of a bottommost layer of the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242), for example, by finite taper angles of straight sidewalls of the first-tier memory openings 149 and second-tier memory openings 249.

Referring to FIG. 69, the sacrificial dielectric liners 127, if present, are removed selective to the first-tier alternating stack (132, 142), the second-tier alternating stack (232, 242), the first and second insulating cap layers (170, 270), the dielectric support pillar structures 222, and the various materials of the in-process source-level material layer 10′.

Subsequently, the processing steps of FIGS. 9A-9D and 10 can be performed to form memory opening fill structures 58 in each of the inter-tier memory openings 58. The processing steps of FIGS. 11A, 11B, 12, 13A-13E, and 14 can be performed to form a second contact level dielectric layer 282 and backside trenches 79, and to replace the in-process source-level material layers 10′ with source-level material layers 10. The processing steps of FIGS. 15 and 16 can be performed to replace the first and second sacrificial material layers (142, 242) with first and second electrically conductive layers (146, 246).

Referring to FIG. 70, the processing steps of FIGS. 17A-17C, 18A an 18B, and 19 can be performed to form dielectric wall structures 76, followed by formation of a second contact level dielectric layer 282, various contact via structures (86, 88, 488), a line-level dielectric layer 290, bit lines 98, and interconnection line structures 96 as shown in FIG. 19.

Referring to FIGS. 1A-19 and 37-80 collectively and according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, a three-dimensional semiconductor device is provided, which comprises: a first-tier alternating stack of first insulating layers 132 and first electrically conductive layers 146 located over a substrate 8; a second-tier alternating stack of second insulating layers 232 and second electrically conductive layers 246 located over the first-tier alternating stack (132, 146); a memory array region 100 including memory stack structures 55 that vertically extend through each layer of the first-tier alternating stack (132, 146) and the second-tier alternating stack (232, 246); a staircase region including first stepped surfaces of the first-tier alternating stack (132, 146) and second stepped surfaces of the second-tier alternating stack (232, 246); dielectric support pillar structures (222 or 422) consisting essentially of at least one dielectric material and located within the staircase region 200, wherein a subset of the dielectric support pillar structures (222 or 422) extends through all layers of the first-tier alternating stack (132, 146) and at least a bottommost layer of the second-tier alternating stack (232, 246), and have a greater lateral extent at a level of a topmost layer of the first-tier alternating stack (132, 146) than at a level of the bottommost layer of the second-tier alternating stack (232, 246).

In one embodiment, the subset of the dielectric support pillar structures (222 or 422) comprises: a first straight sidewall that extends through all layers of the first-tier alternating stack (132, 146) and into a layer underlying the first-tier alternating stack (such as a source-select-level conductive layer 118); an annular horizontal surface contacting a bottom surface of the bottommost layer of the second-tier alternating stack (232, 246) (such as the bottommost one of the second insulating layers 232) and overlying the first straight sidewall; and a second straight sidewall that extends through at least the bottommost layer of the second-tier alternating stack (232, 246).

In one embodiment, the dielectric support pillar structures 422 have different heights that decrease with a lateral distance from the memory array region 100.

In one embodiment, the dielectric support pillar structures 222 have top surfaces located within a same horizontal plane.

In one embodiment, the three-dimensional semiconductor device comprises a retro-stepped dielectric material portion (such as the second retro-stepped dielectric material portion in FIG. 51 or the retro-stepped dielectric material portion 65 in FIG. 80) overlying the first stepped surfaces and the second stepped surfaces.

In one embodiment, each of the dielectric support pillar structures 422 includes a top surface that contacts a surface of the retro-stepped dielectric material portion 65.

In one embodiment, another one of the dielectric support pillar structures 422 extends through a subset of a layer of the first-tier alternating stack (132, 146), does not contact the second-tier alternating stack (232, 246), and underlies and contacts the retro-stepped dielectric material portion 65.

In one embodiment, the three-dimensional semiconductor device comprises: first word line contact via structures 86 extending through the retro-stepped dielectric material portion (such as the second retro-stepped dielectric material portion in FIG. 51 or the retro-stepped dielectric material portion 65 in FIG. 80) and contacting a respective one of the first electrically conductive layers 146; and second word line contact via structures 86 extending through the retro-stepped dielectric material portion and contacting a respective one of the second electrically conductive layers 246.

In one embodiment, the retro-stepped dielectric material portion 65 continuously extends from a surface of a bottommost insulating layer within the first-tier alternating stack (132, 146) to a surface of a topmost insulating layer within the second-tier alternating stack (232, 246), has a homogeneous composition throughout, and has a top surface located at, or overlies, a topmost surface of the second-tier alternating stack (232, 246).

In one embodiment, each of the dielectric support pillar structures 422 has a top surface within a same horizontal plane that includes a top surface of the retro-stepped dielectric material portion (such as a second retro-stepped dielectric material portion 265).

In one embodiment, bottom surfaces of the dielectric support pillar structures (422 or 222) are located within a first horizontal plane HP1; and bottom portions of the memory stack structures 55 contact a source contact layer 114 that underlie the first horizontal plane HP1.

In one embodiment, each of the memory stack structures 55 comprises a respective memory film 50 and a respective vertical semiconductor channel 60.

In one embodiment, the three-dimensional semiconductor device comprises an insulating cap layer (such as a first insulating cap layer 170) located between the first-tier alternating stack (132, 146) and the second-tier alternating stack (232, 246), wherein each of the memory stack structures 55 and the one of the dielectric support pillar structures (422 or 222) has a greater lateral extent at a level of the insulating cap layer than at a level of a topmost layer within the first-tier alternating stack (132, 146), and than at a level of a bottommost layer within the second-tier alternating stack (232, 246).

The structures of various embodiments of the present disclosure can be used to provide structural support to the insulating layers (132, 232) in the staircase region 200 during replacement of sacrificial material layers (142, 242) with electrically conductive layers in a multi-tier structure including a first-tier alternating stack (132, 146) and a second-tier alternating stack (232, 246), while eliminating or minimizing a leakage current due to semiconductor material portions extending through the alternating stacks in the staircase region. The elimination or reduction of the leakage current improves the signal-to-noise ratio of the bit line sense amplifier, and provides enhanced sensing capability and enables scaling of a three-dimensional memory device.

Although the foregoing refers to particular embodiments, it will be understood that the claims are not so limited. It will occur to those of ordinary skill in the art that various modifications may be made to the disclosed embodiments and that such modifications are intended to be within the scope of the claims. Compatibility is presumed among all embodiments that are not alternatives of one another. The word “comprise” or “include” contemplates all embodiments in which the word “consist essentially of” or the word “consists of” replaces the word “comprise” or “include,” unless explicitly stated otherwise. Where an embodiment using a particular structure and/or configuration is illustrated in the present disclosure, it is understood that the claims may be practiced with any other compatible structures and/or configurations that are functionally equivalent provided that such substitutions are not explicitly forbidden or otherwise known to be impossible to one of ordinary skill in the art. All of the publications, patent applications and patents cited herein are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A three-dimensional semiconductor device, comprising: a first-tier alternating stack of first insulating layers and first electrically conductive layers located over a substrate; a second-tier alternating stack of second insulating layers and second electrically conductive layers located over the first-tier alternating stack; a memory array region including memory stack structures that vertically extend through each layer of the first-tier alternating stack and the second-tier alternating stack; a staircase region including first stepped surfaces of the first-tier alternating stack and second stepped surfaces of the second-tier alternating stack; dielectric support pillar structures consisting essentially of at least one dielectric material and extending through the first-tier alternating stack and not extending through any layer of the second-tier alternating stack; and composite support pillar structures comprising a semiconductor material portion and extending through all layers of the first-tier alternating stack and through the second stepped surfaces.
 2. The three-dimensional semiconductor device of claim 1, further comprising a retro-stepped dielectric material portion overlying the first stepped surfaces and the second stepped surfaces, wherein the composite support pillar structures extend through the retro-stepped dielectric material portion.
 3. The three-dimensional semiconductor device of claim 2, wherein each of the composite support pillar structures has a top surface within a same horizontal plane that overlies a topmost layer of the second-tier alternating stack.
 4. The three-dimensional semiconductor device of claim 2, wherein the dielectric support pillar structures have different heights that decrease with a lateral distance from the memory array region.
 5. The three-dimensional semiconductor device of claim 4, wherein each of the dielectric support pillar structures protrudes above the first stepped surfaces and includes a respective upper portion that is laterally surrounded by the retro-stepped dielectric material portion.
 6. The three-dimensional semiconductor device of claim 2, further comprising: first word line contact via structures extending through the retro-stepped dielectric material portion and contacting a respective one of the first electrically conductive layers; and second word line contact via structures extending through the retro-stepped dielectric material portion and contacting a respective one of the second electrically conductive layers.
 7. The three-dimensional semiconductor device of claim 2, wherein the retro-stepped dielectric material portion continuously extends from a surface of a bottommost insulating layer within the first-tier alternating stack to a surface of a topmost insulating layer within the second-tier alternating stack, has a homogeneous composition throughout, has a top surface located at, or overlies, a topmost surface of the second-tier alternating stack, overlies the dielectric support pillar structures, and laterally surrounds the composite support pillar structures.
 8. The three-dimensional semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein: bottom surfaces of the dielectric support pillar structures and bottom surfaces of the composite support pillar structures are located within a first horizontal plane; and bottom portions of the memory stack structures contact a source contact layer that underlie the first horizontal plane.
 9. The three-dimensional semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein each of the memory stack structures comprises a respective memory film and a respective vertical semiconductor channel.
 10. The three-dimensional semiconductor device of claim 9, wherein: each of the memory films comprises a layer stack including a charge storage layer and a tunneling dielectric; and each of the composite support pillar structures comprises a layer stack including a first dielectric material layer having a same composition and a same thickness as the charge storage layer and a second dielectric material layer having a same composition and a same thickness as the tunneling dielectric.
 11. The three-dimensional semiconductor device of claim 9, wherein the semiconductor material portion of each of the composite support pillar structure comprises a semiconductor material having a same material composition as the vertical semiconductor channels.
 12. The three-dimensional semiconductor device of claim 1, further comprising an insulating cap layer located between the first-tier alternating stack and the second-tier alternating stack, wherein each of the memory stack structures and the composite support pillar structures has a greater lateral extent at a level of the insulating cap layer than at a level of a topmost layer within the first-tier alternating stack, and than at a level of a bottommost layer within the second-tier alternating stack.
 13. A three-dimensional semiconductor device, comprising: a first-tier alternating stack of first insulating layers and first electrically conductive layers located over a substrate; a second-tier alternating stack of second insulating layers and second electrically conductive layers located over the first-tier alternating stack; memory stack structures vertically extending through each layer of the alternating stack in a memory array region; stepped surfaces of the first-tier alternating stack and the second-tier alternating stack located in a staircase region adjacent to the memory array region; and first-tier dielectric support pillar structures extending through portions of the first-tier alternating stack underlying the stepped surfaces, wherein a height of each of the dielectric support pillar structures decreases with a lateral distance from the memory array region.
 14. A method of forming a semiconductor structure, comprising: forming a first-tier alternating stack of first insulating layers and first spacer material layers over a substrate; forming in-process dielectric support pillar structures through the first-tier alternating stack in a first staircase region; forming a second-tier alternating stack of second insulating layers and second sacrificial material layers over the first-tier alternating stack and the in-process support pillar structures; patterning the second-tier alternating stack and the first-tier alternating stack to form first stepped surfaces on the first-tier alternating stack and second stepped surfaces on the second-tier alternating stack, wherein the in-process dielectric support pillar structures are collaterally recessed vertically to provide dielectric support pillar structures comprising at least one dielectric material and extending through the first-tier alternating stack and having different heights; forming memory stack structures vertically extending through each layer of the first-tier alternating stack and the second-tier alternating stack in a memory array region; and replacing remaining portions of the first spacer material layers and the second spacer material layers with first electrically conductive layers and second electrically conductive layers.
 15. The method of claim 14, further comprising forming composite support pillar structures through the first-tier alternating stack and the second stepped surfaces, wherein each of the composite support pillar structures comprises a respective semiconductor material portion.
 16. The method of claim 14, further comprising forming a retro-stepped dielectric material portion over the first stepped surfaces on the first-tier alternating stack and the second stepped surfaces on the second-tier alternating stack, wherein the retro-stepped dielectric material portion contacts the dielectric support pillar structures.
 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising: forming memory openings through the second-tier alternating stack and the first-tier alternating stack in the memory array region; forming inter-tier support openings through the retro-stepped dielectric material portion, a region of the second-tier alternating stack that underlie the second stepped surfaces, and the first-tier alternating stack; and simultaneously forming memory opening fill structures in the memory openings and composite support pillar structures in the inter-tier support openings, wherein each of the memory opening fill structures comprises a respective one of the memory stack structures.
 18. The method of claim 17, further comprising: forming first-tier support openings through the first-tier alternating stack prior to formation of the second-tier alternating stack; forming sacrificial support opening fill structures in the first-tier support openings; replacing a first subset of the sacrificial support opening fill structures with the in-process dielectric support pillar structures; forming second-tier support openings through the second-tier alternating stack over a second subset of the sacrificial opening fill structures; and removing the sacrificial support opening fill structures underneath the second-tier support openings, wherein the inter-tier support openings are formed.
 19. The method of claim 18, further comprising: forming first-tier memory openings through the first-tier alternating stack in the memory array region prior to formation of the second-tier alternating stack, wherein the first-tier memory openings extend to a greater depth than the first-tier support openings; forming sacrificial memory opening fill structures comprising a same material as the sacrificial support opening fill structures in the first-tier memory openings; and forming second-tier memory openings through the second-tier alternating stack over the sacrificial memory opening fill structures; and removing the sacrificial memory opening fill structures underneath the second-tier memory openings, wherein the memory openings are formed.
 20. The method of claim 14, wherein patterning of the second-tier alternating stack and the first-tier alternating stack comprises: applying a trimmable etch mask layer over the second-tier alternating stack; and iteratively repeating an anisotropic etch process that etches at least one pair of an insulating layer and a spacer material layer within the first-tier alternating stack and the second-tier alternating stack and a trimming process that trims a lateral extent of the trimmable etch mask layer, wherein the in-process dielectric support pillar structures are partially etched during a subset of the anisotropic etch processes that is performed after the in-process dielectric support pillar structures are physically exposed. 